Effects of Marriage on Mental Health - Marripedia

1. Anxiety and Stress. Both adults and children in married families suffer less psychological distress than their counterparts in divorced families. · 2. Marripedia Home Trace:EffectsofMarriageonMentalHealth TinyURL:https://tinyurl.com/yxtcmjup Sidebar Home BrowsebyTopic Family Religion Education Government Economy MARRI'sWebsite AboutMarripedia FeaturedResearch DownloadasPDF TableofContents 1.AnxietyandStress 1.1RelatedAmericanDemographics 2.Depression 3.Suicide 4.Happiness 4.1RelatedAmericanDemographics 5.DrugandAlcoholUse 6.Community 6.1RelatedAmericanDemographics EffectsofMarriageonMentalHealth Marriedpeopleareleastlikelytohavementaldisorders,1)andhavehigherlevelsofemotionalandpsychologicalwell-beingthanthosewhoaresingle,divorced,orcohabiting.2)Marriageprotectsagainstfeelingsofloneliness.3)Marriedmothersenjoygreaterpsychologicalwell-beingandgreaterloveandintimacythancohabitingorsinglemothers.4)Marriagealsohasawiderangeofbenefitsforphysicalhealth. 1.AnxietyandStress Bothadultsandchildreninmarriedfamiliessufferlesspsychologicaldistressthantheircounterpartsindivorcedfamilies.5)Marriedmenhavelowerlevelsofstresshormones,6)andmarriedwomenexperiencelesspsychologicaldistress.7)Marriedmothersfeelmoreloveandintimacy,lessambivalence,andexperiencelessconflictwiththeirhusbandsthancohabitingandsinglewomendowiththeirpartners.8) 1.1RelatedAmericanDemographics AccordingtotheNationalSurveyofChildren’sHealth,biologicalparentsandadoptiveparentswhoaremarriedreportlessparentingstress(48.9)thansinglemothers(52.1),biologicalparent/stepparentfamilies(52.0),or“other”familystructure(50.6)suchassinglefathers.9)(SeeChartBelow) 2.Depression Thosewhoaremarriedreportlessdepression10)thancohabitingcouples.11)Marriedmothersreportlessdepression,moresupportfromtheirpartners,andmorestablerelationshipsthancohabitingmothers.12)Adolescentslivingwithmarriedparentsarelesslikelytobedepressedthanthoseinstepfamiliesorsingle-parentfamilies(withorwithoutotheradultspresent).13) 3.Suicide Marriedpeopleareleastlikelytocommitsuicide.14)Adolescentsindivorcedfamiliesaremorelikelytocommitsuicide.15) 4.Happiness Marriedpeoplearemuchmorelikelytoreportbeinghappythancohabiters,16)andthosewhodonotcohabitpriortomarriagereporthavinghappiermarriagesthanthosewhodocohabit.17)Marriedpeople(thoseinintactmarriagesandthosewhohavedivorcedandremarried)mostfrequentlyreportbeingproudoftheirwork.18)Marriedmothersofinfantshavethemostpositiveattitudesandreportformingbetterhomeenvironmentsthansingleandcohabitingmothers.19) 4.1RelatedAmericanDemographics Alargerfractionofthoseraisedinanintactfamilyconsiderthemselves“veryhappy”thanthoseraisedinnon-intactfamilies.20)(SeeChartBelow) 5.DrugandAlcoholUse Marriedindividualsaremorelikelytoceaseusingmarijuana,dueinparttoimprovementsinself-control.21)Continuouslymarriedadultslessfrequentlyreportthattheysometimesdrinktoomuch.22)Marriedwomenhavefeweralcoholproblems.23)African-Americanswhoaremarriedhavelowerratesofexcessivedrinkinganddruguse.24) Adolescentsfromintactmarriedfamiliesarelesslikelytousecocainethanthosefromdivorcedfamilies.25)Teenagersfromintactfamiliesarelesslikelytobeginsmokingthanthosewithnever-marriedordivorcedsingleparents.26) 6.Community Oldermarriedcouplesenjoymoresocialsupportthanoldercohabiters,27)andmarriedmothersenjoymoresocialsupportthancohabitingorsinglemothers.28)Thoseinintactmarriageslessoftenreportbelievingthatmostpeoplewouldtrytotakeadvantageofothers.Marriedparentsspendmoreoneducationandlessonalcoholandtobaccoascomparedtocohabitingparents.29) 6.1RelatedAmericanDemographics AccordingtotheGeneralSocialSurvey(GSS),always-intactmarriedadultsarelesslikelythanmarried,previouslydivorcedadultsorunmarriedadultstobelievethatmostpeoplewouldtrytotakeadvantageofothers.30)(SeeChartBelow) 1) DavidWilliams,etal.,“MaritalStatusandPsychiatricDisordersAmongBlacksandWhites,”JournalofHealthandSocialBehavior33,(1992):140-157.AscitedinG.T.Stanton,“WhyMarriageMatters.”Availableathttp://www.ampartnership.org/resourcecenter/news/89-why-marriage-matters.html.Accessed27July2011. BenjaminMalzberg,“MaritalStatusinRelationtothePrevalenceofMentalDisease,”PsychiatricQuarterly10,(1936):245-261;J.Coyne,M.J.Rohrbaugh,V.Shoham,J.S.Sonnega,J.M.Nicklas,andJ.A.Cranford,“PrognosticImportanceofMaritalQualityforSurvivalofCongestiveHeartFailure”AmericanJournalofCardiology88,no.5(2001):526-529.AscitedinCaliforniaHealthyMarriagesCoalition,“HealthyMarriages,MentalHealth.ResearchontheAlignmentofMaritalOutcomesandMentalHealth.”Availableathttp://camarriage.com/content/resources/7b8690b0-784f-46e7-af7d-438a9b064557.pdf.Accessed25August2011. 2) SusanL.Brown,“RelationshipQualityDynamicsofCohabitingUnions,”JournalofFamilyIssues24,no.5(2003):583-601. SusanL.Brown,“TheEffectofUnionTypeonPsychologicalWell-being:DepressionamongCohabitorsversusMarrieds,”JournalofHealthandSocialBehavior41,no.3(2000):241-255. BethA.Hahn,“MaritalStatusandWomen’sHealth:theEffectofEconomicMaritalAcquisitions,”JournalofMarriageandtheFamily55,no.2(1993):495-504;YuanrengHuandNoreenGoldman,“MortalityDifferentialsbyMaritalStatus:AnInternationalComparison,”Demography27,no.2(1990):233-250;JaniceK.Kiecolt-GlaserandTamaraL.Newton,“MarriageandHealth:HisandHers,”PsychologicalBulletin127,no.4(2001):472-503;L.A.LillardandC.W.A.Panis,“MaritalStatusandMortality:TheRoleofHealth,”Demography33,no.3(1996):313-327;L.A.LillardandL.J.Waite,“’TilDeathDousPart:MaritalDisruptionandMortality,”TheAmericanJournalofSociology100,no.5(1995):1131-1156;K.Marcussen,“ExplainingDifferencesinMentalHealthBetweenMarriedandCohabitingIndividuals,”SocialPsychologyQuarterly68,no.3(1999):239-257;StevenStackandJ.R.Eshleman,“MaritalStatusandHappiness:A17-NationStudy,”JournalofMarriageandtheFamily60,(1998):527-536;K.A.S.Wickrama,etal.,“MaritalQualityandPhysicalIllness:ALatentGrowthCurveAnalysis,”JournalofMarriageandtheFamily59,no.1(1997):143-155.AllascitedinD.Lees,“ThePsychologicalBenefitsofMarriage,”ResearchNote(2007):1-4.Availableathttp://www.maxim.org.nz/files/pdf/psychological_benefits_of_marriage.pdf.Accessed27July2011 3) RandyPageandGalenCole,“DemographicPredictorsofSelf-ReportedLonelinessinAdults,”PsychologicalReports68,(1991):939-945.AscitedinGlennT.Stanton,“WhyMarriageMatters,”Availableathttp://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/gods_design_for_marriage/marriage_gods_idea/why_marriage_matters_for_adults.aspx#footnoteRef17,accessed12April,2013. M.A.Distel,I.Rebollo-Mesa,A.Abdellaoui,C.A.Derom,G.Willemsen,J.T.Cacioppo,D.I.Boomsma,“FamilialResemblanceforLoneliness,”BehaviorGenetics40,no.4(2010):480,488,490. 4) StacyR.AronsonandAlethaC.Huston,“TheMother-InfantRelationshipinSingle,Cohabiting,andMarriedFamilies:ACaseforMarriage?”JournalofFamilyPsychology18,no.1(2004):5-18.AscitedbyTheHeritageFoundation:FamilyFacts.Availableathttp://www.familyfacts.org/search?q=huston%20and%20aronson&type=findings&page=1.Accessed1September2011. 5) PaulR.Amato,“TheConsequenceofDivorceforAdultsandChildren,”JournalofMarriageandtheFamily62,(2000):1269-1287.AscitedinNicholasZill,“ParentingStressandFamilyStructure.”Availableathttp://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/MA-34-36-160.pdf.Accessed26August2011. 6) D.Maestripieri,“Between-andWithin-SexVariationinHormonalResponsestoPsychologicalStressInaLargeSampleofCollegeStudents,”Stress13,no.5(2010):413–442;J.Holt-Lunstad,“IsThereSomethingUniqueaboutMarriage?TheRelativeImpactofMaritalStatus,RelationshipQuality,andNetworkSocialSupportonAmbulatoryBloodPressureandMentalHealth,”AnnalsofBehavioralMedicine35,no.2(2008):239-244.AscitedinKathleenBlanchard,“Health&Marriage:BenefitsforMen.”Availableathttp://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/10/13/health-marriage-benefits-men/#ixzz1TDmcdmCc.Accessed26July2011. 7) DuncanCramer,“LivingAlone,MaritalStatus,GenderandHealth,”JournalofCommunityandAppliedSocialPsychology3,(1993):9. W.R.Avison,J.Ali,andD.Walters,“FamilyStructure,Stress,andPsychologicalDistress:ADemonstrationoftheImpactofDifferentialExposure,”JournalofHealthandSocialBehavior48,(2007):306. 8) StacyR.AronsonandAlethaC.Huston,“TheMother-InfantRelationshipInSingle,Cohabiting,andMarriedFamilies:ACaseforMarriage?”JournalofFamilyPsychology18,no.1(2004):5-18.AscitedbyTheHeritageFoundation:FamilyFacts.Availableathttp://www.familyfacts.org/search?q=huston%20and%20aronson&type=findings&page=1.Accessed1September2011. 9) ThischartdrawsondatacollectedbytheNationalCenterforHealthStatisticsintheNationalSurveyofChildren’sHealth(NSCH)in2003.Thedatasampleconsistedofparentsof102,353childrenandteensinall50statesandtheDistrictofColumbia.68,996ofthesechildrenandteenswerebetweensixand17yearsold,theagegroupthatwasthefocusofthestudy.Thesurveysampleinthisagerangerepresentedapopulationofnearly49millionyoungpeoplenationwide. NicholasZill,“ParentingStressandFamilyStructure,”MappingAmericaProject.Availableathttp://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/MA-34-36-160.pdf 10) SusanL.Brown,“TheEffectofUnionTypeonPsychologicalWell-Being:DepressionamongCohabitorsversusMarrieds,”JournalofHealthandSocialBehavior41,no.3(2000):247-248. 11) KristenMarcussen,“ExplainingDifferencesinMentalHealthbetweenMarriedandCohabitingIndividuals,”SocialPsychologyQuarterly68,no.3(2005):239-257;SusanL.Brown,GaryR.Lee,andJenniferR.Bulanda,“TheSignificanceofNonmaritalCohabitation:MaritalStatusandMentalHealthBenefitsamongMiddle-AgedandOlderAdults,”TheJournalsofGerontology60,no.1(2005):S21-S29.BothascitedinDanielLees,“ThePsychologicalBenefitsofMarriage,”ResearchNote(2007):1-4.Availableathttp://www.maxim.org.nz/files/pdf/psychological_benefits_of_marriage.pdf.Accessed27July2011. 12) V.King,“StepfamilyFormation:ImplicationsforAdolescentTiestoMothers,NonresidentFathers,andStepfathers,”JournalofMarriageandFamily71,no.4(2009):4. 13) AnneE.BarrettandR.J.Turner,“FamilyStructureandMentalHealth:TheMediatingEffectsofSocioeonomicStatus,FamilyProcessandSocialStress,”JournalofHealthandSocialBehavior46,no.2(2005):156-169.AscitedinNationalHealthyMarriageResourceCenterResearchBriefbyJanaStaton,“MakingtheConnectionBetweenHealthyMarriageandHealthOutcomes:WhattheResearchSays”(2009):1-18. 14) MariaMasocco,etal.,“SuicideandmaritalstatusinItaly,”PsychiatricQuarterly79,no.4(2008):275-285.AscitedinRogerDobson,“FromCancertoHeartDisease,TheAmazing,Life-SavingBenefitsofMarriage.”Availablehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1049134/From-cancer-heart-disease-amazing-life-saving-benefits-marriage.html.Accessed5April2013. 15) DavidM.Cutler,etal.,“ExplainingtheRiseinYouthSuicide,”WorkingPaper7713(Cambridge:NationalBureauofEconomicResearch):2000.AscitedinGlennT.Stanton,“WhyMarriageMatters,”http://www.focusonthefamily.com/marriage/gods_design_for_marriage/marriage_gods_idea/why_marriage_matters_for_adults.aspx#footnoteRef17.Accessed12April,2013. 16) StevenStackandJ.RossEshleman,“MaritalStatusandHappiness:A17-NationStudy,”JournalofMarriageandtheFamily60,(1998):527-536.AscitedinDanielLees,“ThePsychologicalBenefitsofMarriage”ResearchNote(2007):1-4.Availableathttp://www.maxim.org.nz/files/pdf/psychological_benefits_of_marriage.pdf.Accessed27July2011. KristenS.Lee,andHiroshiOno,“Marriage,Cohabitation,andHappiness:ACross-NationalAnalysisof27Countries,”JournalofMarriage&Family74,no.5(2012):961-962. 17) SpencerL.JamesandBrettA.Beattie,“ReassessingtheLinkbetweenWomen'sPremaritalCohabitationandMaritalQuality,”SocialForces91,no.2(2012):651,652. 18) PatrickF.FaganandAltheaNagai,“IAmProudoftheTypeofWorkIDo.”Availableat http://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/MA-76-78-174.pdf.Accessed26August2011. 19) ,28) StacyR.AronsonandAlethaC.Huston,“TheMother-InfantRelationshipInSingle,Cohabiting,andMarriedFamilies:ACaseforMarriage?”JournalofFamilyPsychology18,no.1(2004):5-18.AscitedbyTheHeritageFoundation:FamilyFacts.Availableathttp://www.familyfacts.org/search?q=huston%20and%20aronson&type=findings&page=1.Accessed1September2011 20) ThischartdrawsondatacollectedbytheGeneralSocialSurvey,1972-2006.From1972to1993,thesamplesizeaveraged1,500eachyear.NoGSSwasconductedin1979,1981,or1992.Since1994,theGSShasbeenconductedonlyineven-numberedyearsandusestwosamplesperGSSthattotalapproximately3,000.In2006,athirdsamplewasaddedforatotalsamplesizeof4,510. PatrickF.FaganandAltheaNagai,“IntergenerationalLinkstoHappiness:FamilyStructure.”Availableathttp://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/MA-49-51-165.pdf.Accessed26August2011. 21) WalterForrestandCarterHay,“Life-CourseTransitions,Self-ControlandDesistanceFromCrime,”CriminologyandCriminalJustice11,no.5(2011):487-513.AscitedinPhysorgarticle,“TheBenefitsofMarriage.”Availableathttp://www.physorg.com/news/2011-09-benefits-marriage.html.Accessed2December2011. 22) PatrickF.FaganandAltheaNagai,“‘SometimesDrinkstooMuchAlcohol’byMaritalStatus.”Availableat http://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/MA-85-87-177.pdf.Accessed26August2011. 23) AllanV.Horwitz,HeleneR.White,andSandraHowell-White,“BecomingMarriedandMentalHealth:ALongitudinalStudyofaCohortofYoungAdults,”JournalofMarriageandtheFamily58,(1996):895-907. 24) MirM.Ali,andOlugbengaAjilore,“CanMarriageReduceRiskyHealthBehaviorforAfrican-Americans?”JournalofFamily&EconomicIssues32,no.2(2011):198,200. 25) LisaA.CubbinsandDanielH.Klepinger,“ChildhoodFamily,Ethnicity,andDrugUseovertheLifeCourse,”JournalofMarriageandFamily69,no.3(2007):810-830.AscitedbyTheHeritageFoundation:FamilyFacts.Availableathttp://www.familyfacts.org/briefs/24/keeping-teens-safe-how-the-intact-family-buffers-against-teen-substance-use.Accessed20July2011. 26) CherylAmeyandStanAlbrecht,“RaceandEthnicDifferencesinAdolescentDrugUse:TheImpactofFamilyStructureandtheQuantityandQualityofParentalInteraction,”JournalofDrugIssues28,no.2(1998):283-298.AscitedbyTheHeritageFoundation:FamilyFacts.Availableathttp://www.familyfacts.org/briefs/24/keeping-teens-safe-how-the-intact-family-buffers-against-teen-substance-use.Accessed20July2011. SusanL.BrownandLaurenN.Rinelli,“FamilyStructure,FamilyProcesses,andAdolescentSmokingandDrinking,”JournalOfResearchOnAdolescence20,no.2(2010):264,266. 27) SusanL.Brown,GaryR.Lee,andJenniferR.Bulanda,“CohabitationAmongOlderAdults:ANationalPortrait,”TheJournalsofGerontology61B,no.2(2006):S75 29) ThomasDeLeireandArielKalil,“HowDoCohabitingCoupleswithChildrenSpendTheirMoney?”JournalofMarriageandFamilyno.67(2005):286-295.AscitedinInstituteforAmericanValues,“WhyMarriageMatters:26ConclusionsfromtheSocialSciences,”13.Availableathttp://www.americanvalues.org/pdfs/why_marriage_matters2.pdf.Accessed2April2013. 30) ThischartdrawsondatacollectedbytheGeneralSocialSurvey,1972-2006.From1972to1993,thesamplesizeaveraged1,500eachyear.NoGSSwasconductedin1979,1981,or1992.Since1994,theGSShasbeenconductedonlyineven-numberedyearsandusestwosamplesperGSSthattotalapproximately3,000.In2006,athirdsamplewasaddedforatotalsamplesizeof4,510. PatrickF.FaganandAltheaNagai,“’BeliefThatPeopleTrytoTakeAdvantageofOthers’byMaritalStatus.”Availableathttp://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/MA-88-90-178.pdf.Accessed26August2011. Thisentrydrawsheavilyfrom164ReasonstoMarry. ShowpagesourceOldrevisionsBacklinksExporttoPDF