Troubled Marriages are Bad for Health, So is Divorce

A University of Utah Study found that women in troubled marriages are more likely to not only suffer from depression but also other life threatening conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, meabolic syndrome and more... You can read a summary of this study at WebMD

The National Institute of Mental Health has asserted that, "the single most powerful predictor of stress-related physical as well as emotional illness is marital disruption."

According to Bryce Christianson in In Sickness and in Health: The Medical Costs of Family Meltdown published in Policy Reiview, "Divorced adults are more susceptible to severe emotional and psychological problems, plus early death from an assortment of causes, than for married individuals. The suicide rate for divorced white men, for example, is four times higher than for their married counterparts. The situation for divorced adults is such that Harold Morowitz of Yale University contends, 'Being divorced and a non-smoker is slightly less dangerous than smoking a pack or more a day and staying married." You can read more disturbing facts regarding the health effects of divorce here

So to remain in a troubled marriage poses significant health risks (and I've seen ample evidence of this in my work with clients) and at the same time divorce poses health risks of its own. Considering the evidence as well as the considerable strain that is being placed on marriages today by the troubled economy, I would suggest that more needs to be done to support the creation and maintenance of healthy marriages.

Our response at SagePlace is to offer a support and educational group for couples designed to strengthen relationships. To make this group affordable, there will be no fee, however we will gratefully accept donations. If you're interested in attending, contact us as attendance will be limited.