WELLINGTON - Marriage is good for you: this is the conclusion of an international study which showed that the marital relationship contributes to reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, said Tuesday New Zealand scientists.
- The survey covered a sample of 34,500 people in fifteen countries, "said Kate Scott, a psychologist at the New Zealand University of Otago.
"What our work showed is that the marital relationship provides many benefits to both mental health among men than women, and the pain and disruption at the end of a union, make people more vulnerable to mental disorders, "she said.
Being separated, divorced or widowed increases the risk of mental problems such as depression in men and the abuse of alcohol and drugs among women.
"Marriage is beneficial to both men and women in terms of mental health, so we thought until now that the union was more beneficial in this area for men than women," she added.
The survey however revealed that men were less at risk of depression during their first marriage than women. This could be explained by the fact that women are more likely to be molded in a traditional role of wife at first marriage, also said the scientist.
Marriage also reduces the risk of abuse of alcohol or drugs more among women than among men. This can be explained by the fact that women significantly reduce their alcohol consumption during pregnancy and maintain this behaviour when children are young, according to Ms. Scott.
Ennaharonline/ M. O.
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