Most people would agree
that few topics are as important to our lives as marriage. This long-standing institution
has been under attack in our culture for the past few generations! Is marriage,
as traditionally defined as a legal union between a man and a woman, worth
preserving for society? Is there an advantage to this form of union to
individuals’ mental and physical health, and to society in general?
To analyze this question we reviewed past studies
in the medical literature which evaluated the benefits and disadvantages of
legally binding, heterosexual marriage (Teleios, internal data). We went back
as far as 1966!
The analysis showed overwhelming benefits of
traditional marriage on general wellbeing and specific parameters that might
affect wellbeing, including physical and mental health, sexual satisfaction,
family income, and children’s outcomes. Of the 42 articles evaluated, only 3
did not describe any marriage benefits. Even
more, the stronger the relationship commitment, the greater trend of enhanced
wellbeing. Never married, widowed and divorced individuals suffered the lowest
wellbeing.
Interestingly, individuals in a committed
relationship, even unmarried, generally had improved elements of wellbeing
compared to those uncommitted. But marriage
relationships, which typically demonstrate the strongest legal and outward
social commitment to a relationship, generally had the highest wellbeing of all
relationships. Further, some evidence in diseased and depressed individuals
indicated that the better quality of the marriage relationship, the better the
wellbeing-related outcome.
How to explain these results? We speculated on
several reasons.
Ø
First, a
committed partner helping with income, household tasks, and raising children
can lessen the burden compared to a single parent.
Ø
Second,
socialization with a marriage partner provides a potential source of personal
enrichment, encouragement and empathy.
Ø
Third, the
more committed the relationship, the greater confidence spouses can have in
each other thus conserving time, money and emotion required to correct problems
in their relationship.
Ø
Fourth,
marriage partners can help maintain good health by encouraging each other to
keep medical appointments, take medicines and develop a healthy lifestyle.
Ø
Last, the
marriage commitment may facilitate sexual satisfaction by building confidence
that no competing love interest is diverting the attention of their spouse.
Why would a committed marital relationship
have a positive impact on children and the community? Again we speculated.
Ø
First, the
ability of a couple to help each other provides sufficient time and money
resources to better raise children and serve the community.
Ø
Second,
satisfied couples who are not dealing with internal problems can more easily
look outwards to helping their children and community.
Ø
Last,
committed couples who agree together how to raise their children can provide a
more consistent, productive, secure and supportive home environment.
Our review suggested that traditional
marriage generally provides numerous benefits to the relationship partners
through enhanced measures of mental and physical wellbeing, and benefits to
their children compared to other heterosexual partnership arrangements or
single status.
Should the US government institute policies
that encourage traditional marriage as a method to enhance societal wellbeing
and economic success? To
participate in our latest poll question - please visit our website at http://teleiosresearch.com/#anchorpoll
Thank you for taking time
to visit my blog. I look forward to seeing you again next week.
WC Stewart
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