Essay Sample on Marriage & Health: Examining the Link Between Matrimony & Well-Being

Introduction

Many theories have been derived to explain the correlation between married people and healthy lifestyle. The literature will cover human behavioral theories and concepts that show how married and unmarried people's health conditions differ. While many scholars support the idea that married couples experience better health conditions than the unmarried people, counter-arguments have been made by other researchers refuting the idea.

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According to Gove, Hughes, and Style (1983), marriage has a positive effect on the psychological life of couples. The married people experience a sense of happiness and contentment that is absent in the lives of unmarried people. The psychological contentment relates to the well being of the couple. However, the health condition in marriage cannot be directly attributed the marital status since other variables are not taken into account (Gove, Hughes & Style, 1983). A research conducted by Gove, Hughes, and Style (1983), indicated that among the married and married couples between the age of 30 and 40, the married people experienced better mental health conditions.

Barrett (1999) argued that unmarried aged people experience social problems. They are unable to interact with others, which pose a mental health problem to them. According to his article, the social life of married people remains intact even after losing a spouse. He introduced the substitution theory, which explains that the married individuals substitute the partner with friends or family after losing their spouse. The mental health of the aged person is not affected unlike the unmarried who become loners at their old age. According to Barrett (1999), the social problems derived from a lonely life have an impact on the mental conditions of people in their old age and may result in mental health problems.

Robles (2014) relates being in a happy marriage with better psychological and physical health. The study conducted by Robles indicated that there is a correlation between marital status and health conditions. His study attributed the happiness in marriage among the 21st-century couples with better health. The unmarried couple according to Robles (2014) experiences a high level of insecurity and loneliness which leads to health problems. His research is evidence that married couples especially those in happy marriages experience better health conditions than unmarried people.

Simon (2002) introduced a sex role theory of marriage and mental health. In this theory, he argued that marriage is advantageous for men but disadvantageous for women due to the societal role. His study concluded that men in marriages experience better mental conditions than the unmarried men. However, due to the struggles, the women undergo in their marriages they often suffer from emotional tortures which leads to stress. The nature of marriage is a key factor in determining the mental health conditions of both men and women. According to Simon (2002) women are undervalued in their relationships; they often suffer from self-esteem issues as a result of the roles the society expects them to play.

Wilson (2002) introduced a simple economic theory that integrates standard theories of the marriage market and health capital formation. In His study, Wilson explained that the later life of the married people is determined by the spouse. He attributed lifestyle issues such as diet, smoking, educational level and other health factors which pose an environmental health risk factor to the couples to health conditions. According to Wilson (2002), the life that a person is used to before marriage changes drastically. The lifestyle issues of the partner are incorporated into the individual's life. His study indicated that the health conditions of the married people deteriorate based on the marriage partner and unmarried people experience better health conditions.

Kalmijn (2017) analyzed the theory of mental health protection in marriage and presented his doubts in his article. According to Kalmijn (2017), the effect of losing a marriage partner is three times worse than gains derived from marriage. Marriage has no health benefits and the impact of losing a spouse is devastating and it takes a lot of time to heal. The mental health condition of the spouse is affected drastically and takes time to heal. The life of unmarried people is better in terms of health standards according to Kalmijn.

According to Hughes and Waite (2009), the effect of marital disruption affects one's health with impacts evident in the future. The mental health of a person is negatively affected by cases of divorce or unhappy marriages. Health effect varies with the time that a person spends as a divorcee or a widow. Hughes and Waite(2009) explain that dimensions of health seem to develop slowly, such as chronic conditions and mobility limitations, which show strong effects of past marital disruption, whereas others, such as depressive symptoms, seem more sensitive to current marital status. However, the health issues affect the married people only with the unmarried people enjoying their life even at old age.

The gap presented by different researchers on the issue of whether married people experience better health conditions than the unmarried people is the main reason for this study. The analysis by all researchers is inconclusive and raises questions of whether there is a correlation between marriage and health conditions. These questions will be addressed in the study.

References

Barrett, A. E. (1999). Social support and life satisfaction among the never married: Examining the effects of age. Research on Aging, 21(1), 46-72. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Barrett%2C+A.+E.+%281999%29.+Social+support+and+life+satisfaction+among+the+never+married%3A+Examining+the+effects+of+age.+Research+on+Aging%2C+21%281%29%2C+46-72.&btnG=

Gove, W. R., Hughes, M., & Style, C. B. (1983). Does marriage have positive effects on the psychological well-being of the individual?. Journal of health and social behavior, 122-131.Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Gove%2C+W.+R.%2C+Hughes%2C+M.%2C+%26+Style%2C+C.+B.+%281983%29.+Does+marriage+have+positive+effects+on+the+psychological+well-being+of+the+individual%3F.+Journal+of+health+and+social+behavior%2C+122-131.&btnG=

Hughes, M. E., & Waite, L. J. (2009). Marital biography and health at mid-life. Journal of health and social behavior, 50(3), 344-358.Retrived from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Hughes%2C+M.+E.%2C+%26+Waite%2C+L.+J.+%282009%29.+Marital+biography+and+health+at+mid-life.+Journal+of+health+and+social+behavior%2C+50%283%29%2C+344-358.Retrived+from+&btnG=

Kalmijn, M. (2017). The ambiguous link between marriage and health: A dynamic reanalysis of loss and gain effects. Social Forces, 95(4), 1607-1636.Retrived from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Kalmijn%2C+M.+%282017%29.+The+ambiguous+link+between+marriage+and+health%3A+A+dynamic+reanalysis+of+loss+and+gain+effects.+Social+Forces%2C+95%284%29%2C+1607-1636.&btnG=

Robles, T. F. (2014). Marital quality and health: Implications for marriage in the 21st century. Current directions in psychological science, 23(6), 427-432.Retrived from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Robles%2C+T.+F.+%282014%29.+Marital+quality+and+health%3A+Implications+for+marriage+in+the+21st+century.+Current+directions+in+psychological+science%2C+23%286%29%2C+427-432.&btnG=

Simon, R. W. (2002). Revisiting the relationships among gender, marital status, and mental health. American journal of sociology, 107(4), 1065-1096. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Simon%2C+R.+W.+%282002%29.+Revisiting+the+relationships+among+gender%2C+marital+status%2C+and+mental+health.+American+journal+of+sociology%2C+107%284%29%2C+1065-1096.&btnG=

Wilson, S. E. (2002). The health capital of families: an investigation of the inter-spousal correlation in health status. Social science & medicine, 55(7), 1157-1172. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Wilson%2C+S.+E.+%282002%29.+The+health+capital+of+families%3A+an+investigation+of+the+inter-spousal+correlation+in+health+status.+Social+science+%26+medicine%2C+55%287%29%2C+1157-1172.&btnG=