Getting out of a marriage is a decision that few people take lightly. There’s a relationship there to protect, sometimes children involved and financial security to think about. But for many couples every year, the benefits of getting a divorce outweigh the cons and they move forward with that emotional life decision.
The decision is not always easy for even the unhappily married to make. They might wonder whether life after a split will be happier and less stressful. Being single, as many of us can probably remember, has its own stresses. The Huffington Post reports on a study that suggests maybe the young are not as well-equipped to handle the stress of divorce compared to their elders.
A researcher from Michigan State University followed more than 1,200 subjects over the course of 15 years. She compared their relationship status (whether they remained married or got divorced) to health issues and came up with a notable conclusion. The subjects who divorced at a younger age dealt with more health issues throughout the span of time than those who waited longer to split.
What are the possible theories behind the health trend? The researcher suggests that along with age comes maturity, and those who divorced when they were older had better skills to cope with the change and move on. She also suspects that those who have been married longer are most unhappy in their marriages, making it less difficult to find relief post-split.
This study shouldn’t prevent the unhappily married and young from considering a divorce if that’s what they think would make them happiest in the long run. The report says nothing about whether the subjects who divorced at a younger age ever regretted making that family decision. Sometimes peace of mind and the hope of finding the right person outweighs the stress of even health issues.
Source
The Huffington Post: “Divorce Study: Splitting More Painful At Younger Age,” Jan. 30, 2012