Contrary to popular perception getting married is not at all depressing, according to a new study by researchers at Ohio University. In fact their study says that marriage enhances mental health particularly if a person is already feeling depressed.
Previous studies have documented marriage as helping people with general well being. This study looked at whether marriage helps people who are depressed. “Our findings question the common assumption that marriage is always a good choice for all individuals,” said co-author Adrianne Frech, a doctoral student in sociology at Ohio State University.
The study examined data from the National Survey of Families and Households, which had interviewed some Americans in 1987-88 and then again in 1992-94. For the study sample, the researchers used the data of 3,066 people who were unmarried at the time the first interview was conducted. The researchers measured depression by asking some 12 questions that included the number of days in the past week that the participants felt “felt like they could not shake off the blues,” “slept restlessly,” or “felt lonely.”
Researchers found that depressed people benefited most from marriage. “We actually found the opposite of what we expected,” Frech said. “We thought depressed people would be less likely to benefit from marriage because the depression of one spouse can put a strain on the marriage and undermine marital quality.” The mental health of the depressed people was indeed enhanced after marriage than non-depressed people. The researchers did not find any gender differences in this regard.
“Marriage may give depressed people a greater sense that they matter to someone, while people who weren't depressed prior to marriage may have always thought that way," said co-author Kristi Williams, assistant professor of sociology at Ohio University. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association on August 13.
