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Societal beliefs -

For a long time, society has told us that marriage is great. From a young age, we are taught that finding a partner should be a priority, particularly if there is the prospect of getting hitched.

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Marriage and happiness -

Tied to the perceived importance of marriage is the idea that it makes us happy. Indeed, many single people believe that their relationship status is the cause of all their problems, and that if they could just marry all their problems would melt away.

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Looking at the evidence - Until recently, there has been zero evidence to prove this hypothesis. In 2024, however, scientists published a study that suggests unmarried people are nearly 80% more likely to develop depression.

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The study -

The study, whose findings experts believe may help identify risk groups for depression, looked at 18 years' worth of data from more than 100,000 people.

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Location of participants -

The study participants were located in various countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Mexico, Ireland, South Korea, China, and Indonesia.

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Findings -

Overall, the study found that being unmarried is associated with a 79% higher risk of experiencing symptoms of depression, compared to those who are married.

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Findings -

In addition, it found that people who were divorced or separated were at a 99% higher risk of depression, while those who were widowed were at a 64% higher risk.

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Findings - In terms of geographical distribution, unmarried people in western countries were at a higher risk of experiencing depressive symptoms than their counterparts in eastern countries.

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Interpreting the results -

In addition to publishing their results, the authors of the study opined on the reasons that married people may be less likely to experience symptoms of depression.

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Financial benefits -

The first reason is financial stability. Indeed, in 2024 it seems fair to say that being in a relationship is more financially beneficial than remaining single.

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Living costs -

On the one hand, living costs are lower. For example, the rent for a one-bedroom apartment becomes considerably more affordable when split between two people.

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Tax benefits and budgeting - There are tax benefits to being married. That's not to mention how much easier it can be to budget for a two-income household, rather than a single-income household.

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Lower stress levels - Another reason that being married can mean a lower risk for depression is that stress levels are lower for people who can rely on their partner for practical help.

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Teamwork - Indeed, in functional relationships, there is a clear aspect of teamwork. Each partner has their share of responsibility for tasks such as housework and childcare, and this means that neither partner must do everything on their own.

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Emotional support -

And then, of course, there is the fact that good romantic partners can be relied upon for emotional support and they therefore contribute to their partner's emotional well-being.

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Emotional support -

Coming home from a terrible day at work, for example, is not so bad if you are greeted by someone who can offer a listening ear and cheer you up.

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Convincing arguments - In conjunction with the results from the study, these arguments for why married people are happier seem very convincing.

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Limitations of the study -

However, it is important to note that the study does have its limitations. For one, it is not representative of all couples, since all couples studied were heterosexual.

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Self-reported questionnaires -

Also, the data was collected from self-reported questionnaires, rather than from clinical diagnoses of depression.

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Country-based differences and individual interpretation -

Given the differences in the way mental illnesses are diagnosed and treated around the world, it may be argued that using self-reported questionnaires makes for more reliable data. However, it could also be argued that the data is less reliable, since study participants' responses are based on their own individual interpretations of the questions.

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More research required - It seems likely, therefore, that more research should be done in this field before we can draw any final conclusions about whether being single actually makes people more depressed.

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Flipping the coin - Indeed, each of the arguments raised to show that married people are happier is easily countered by looking at things from a different perspective.

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In terms of money - Of course, being in a couple can work out cheaper. However, for some people it is not costs that are important, but the concept of being financially independent.

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The question of teamwork - While there are some couples who make a great team and manage to ease the burden on one another, there are plenty of couples who don't manage this and one or both partners end up feeling resentful.

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The question of teamwork -

Indeed, in this situation, the partner carrying most of the load may be left feeling they would be happier if they only had themselves to worry about.

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The question of emotional support - Similarly, while in some couples both partners offer each other fantastic emotional support, in other couples it is quite the opposite, and the partners have a terrible impact on one another's well-being.

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Final thoughts -

While the results of the recent study are interesting, it seems they shouldn't be taken as the hard truth, especially since every relationship situation is unique.

Sources: (Daily Mail) (Sky)

See also: The longest (and shortest) presidential marriages

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