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A recent study suggests that men who remain in a miserable marriage shorten their lives.
In this study, men dissatisfied with their marriage were 94% more likely to suffer a stroke and 21% more likely to die from any cause.
Previous studies have also suggested that a hostile union can affect the mental, emotional, and physical health of both spouses. If your marriage is negatively affecting your well-being, consider having a conversation with an attorney about divorce and separation options.
Bad Marriage Poses Health Risks Similar to Smoking
The latest study, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, looks at how a troubled marriage affects men. This Israeli study tracked the health of almost 9,000 civil servants and city workers over 32 years. The men underwent an extensive appraisal of their health and behavioral patterns.
Over that timeframe, the researchers discovered three factors similarly influenced a man’s life expectancy:
- An unhappy marriage increased a man’s risk of death by 21%.
- A “couch potato” lifestyle increased a man’s risk of death by 21%.
- Smoking increased a man’s risk of death by 37%.
“Assessing marital satisfaction and appraising the health benefits of marital education programs for young couples should be implemented as part of health promotion strategies for the general population,” said Shahar Lev-Ari, lead researcher and chair of health promotion at Tel Aviv University School of Public Health.
Experts think the link between dissatisfaction in marriage can make men more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and stress, all of which can increase stroke risk. Unhealthy coping strategies – drinking, smoking, poor dietary habits, and drug use – can worsen health problems.
Happy Spouses Lead to Longer Lives
Fortunately, the news isn’t all bad on the marriage front. A 2019 study found that being happy with your spouse decreased the risk of death by 13%.
“The findings underscore the role of individuals’ immediate social environment in their health outcomes,” said the study author Olga Stavrova, a researcher at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. “Most importantly, it has the potential to extend our understanding of what makes up individuals’ social environment by including the personality and well-being of individuals’ close ones.”
The National Institute on Aging funded the study, which tracked 4,4000 American couples over the age of 50 for eight years.
Other Research on Marriage and Life Expectancy
Most research on the effect of marriage on life expectancy has concluded that married men and women usually live longer than their unmarried counterparts. That broad generalization has been sliced and diced many ways in specific situations, although most studies have looked only at heterosexual couples.
Some of the research on heterosexual marriage and life expectancy suggests the following:
- Men live longer when their wives are younger.
- Women’s lives are shortened when there is a big age gap from her husband.
- Parents live longer than those who never had children.
How marriage affects men and women will undoubtedly continue to be debated. One thing is certain: Every person has a finite number of years on this planet. Every couple is unique. Ending a marriage is sometimes best for both spouses.
First Steps When Considering Divorce in New Jersey
If you are miserably married, you owe it to yourself to have a no-commitment conversation with a lawyer. At Lane & Lane, LLC, we will listen with compassion and provide possible options for you to consider. Divorce can have significant financial and emotional impacts. We can help you understand a potential divorce from every angle. Our goal is to guide you to make an informed decision.
Through our decades of experience and knowledge, we can handle complex high-net-worth cases, sensitive child custody issues, and business divorce interests.
Schedule an initial consultation with one of our seasoned lawyers by calling (908) 259-6673.
