Difficult Marriages Take Exceptional Health Toll on Women
August 3rd, 2009 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
Conflicts, whether in the form of overt fights, hidden resentments, or other issues common in marriages, can be strong indicators for a range of mental health concerns, including depression. Studying the medical as well as the psychological effects of difficult marriages, a study conducted at the University of Utah has sought to discern differences between how men and women react. After taking measurements from blood pressure to waist circumferences, the research team presented participants with an inventory of questions addressing their feelings about their marriages. The study found that while both sexes are more depressed when in difficult marriages, women show a significant increase in heart disease risk factors.
© Copyright 2009 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist Atlanta Bureau - All Rights Reserved.
4 comments so far
fascinating that a difficult marriage would impact women more and make that impact directly upon a woman’s most sensitive organ, the heart…
My daughter is a young woman but going through a difficult period in her marriage right now. It has definitely taken its toll on her. Aside from the worries about whether she can keep her family together she now has to worry about health issues which have come up as well.
Have there been any real studies looking at what kinds of effects a difficult marriage will have on the male? I would just be curious to learn of there were any striking differences or similarities. I know that men and women tend to handle stress and pressure differently in many situations but it seems to me that a bad marriage is going to take a negative toll on anyone, no matter whether they are male or female. And really, we should be looking at how these bad marriages impact children.
“For their study, researchers recruited 276 couples, ranging in age from late 30s to early 70s, who were married an average of 20 years.”
You’re looking at a real study involving men already Jon. Both men and women were studied. It was almost 300 couples, not 300 women.