A recent study of nearly 4,500 British men and women has revealed that cohabiting is best for men’s mental health, but marriage is best for women. The study, by Michaela Benzeval at Queen Mary’s College of the University of London and colleagues, also revealed that while men tend to recover well from serial break-ups, women tend to come off much worse. In fact, the findings suggest that it may be better for a woman’s mental health to remain single rather than to have loved and to have lost. Previous studies have linked marriage with good health – especially for men. Married people have been shown to have a longer life expectancy, lower death rates, and better psychological wellbeing than people who remain unmarried.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2003;58:53.
