MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) Researchers, including from Harvard University, analyzed data from more than 106,000 participants from the United States, Britain, Mexico, Ireland, Korea, China and Indonesia to find out if there’s a correlation between depression and marital status.
The Findings: Singles are 79% more likely to become depressed than people who are married.
Divorcees have a 99% higher risk of depression compared to those who stay married.
Widows have a 64% greater chance of being depressed, compared to those couples where one spouse did not predecease the other.
The study’s conclusion states, “Our analysis revealed that unmarried individuals had a higher risk of depressive symptoms than their married counterparts across all countries and cultures. Marriage boosts health benefits in part because married couples may have more access to economic resources, social supports, as well as having a positive influence on each partner’s well-being.”