Originally published July 26 2005
Unhappy marriage could mean an unhealthy body
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A study by Duke and the University Of Chicago finds that people who have poor-quality marriages, or whose marriages are interrupted by death or divorce, are more likely to have health problems like chronic disease, than those who are in happy, stable marriages.
A new study from Duke and the University Of Chicago looked at the long-term health consequences of people who are married, divorced, widowed, remarried, and single.
What researchers found, reports The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay, is that people who had a disruption of marriage, like divorce or death, were in worse health than those who remained married.
The quality of the marriage was also important to good health, with people in poor marriages in worse health than those in good marriages.
The study looked at health factors like depression, chronic disease and restricted mobility.
The strongest link was found between chronic disease that develops over time, like diabetes or cancer, in people who had a disruption in marriage.
This builds on previous research by the same team that showed more health problems in people who lived in extended family households where they were more likely to be caregivers for grandparents or grandchildren.
This research can't show exactly how relationships affect the body, but the researchers presume that stress plays the biggest role.
The stresses of caregiving or the trauma of a divorce can affect health over long periods.
So what can we do to manage the stress of difficult relationships?
Studies like these underline the importance of maintaining good relationships, and of seeking out ways of dealing with grief and stress in relationships.
There are lots of ways to get professional help, and it's important to seek advice early for relationship problems.
Talk to a doctor or a mental health professional if you're chronically stressed or unhappy in a relationship, or you have feelings of depression or grief that persist for long periods of time.
The AARP has some good advice for caregivers.
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