Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Men’s mental health improves with marriage says research
A story published today by the Age reports that new research shows that women who are married, have children and who are in the workforce are the least likely to suffer mental disorders, while unmarried, childless, unemployed men are the most at risk.
David de Vaus, associate professor in sociology at La Trobe University and senior research adviser at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, said the research showed that marriage, or having a partner, acted as a "protective device" to some extent because it meant greater support.
Research then suggested that marriage improved men's mental health but not that of their wives.
"The data that was collected then had enormous gaps in it, so you really couldn't conclude one way or the other," Professor de Vaus said.
The new report shows that married people are less likely to suffer mental disorders, that divorced or separated people are the most prone to mood and anxiety disorders, and that never-married adults are most susceptible to drug and alcohol abuse.
Regardless of marital status, women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer anxiety disorders, and men are twice as likely to suffer substance abuse.
People who already had mental health problems found it harder to get partners in the first place - or to stay partners - but having a partner or having children tended to stabilize people.
