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.
To ponder, should
the US government institute policies that encourage traditional marriage as a
method to enhance societal wellbeing and economic success?
Thank
you for taking time to visit my blog. I look forward to seeing you again next
week.
Please
visit the Teleios website to read an infographic of this data #15 http://stage.teleiosresearch.com/index.php/infographics/.
WC Stewart
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