Marriage Problems: May Result in Poor Health as an Older Adult

All marriages have their ups and downs, and after years of living with the same person, the tendency to nag or become less communicative may seem perfectly normal. While this behavior may be natural to some extent, research suggests that negative behaviors in marriage can lead to health problems, particularly in adults over age 50.

According to data collected by researcher Jamila Bookwala, Ph.D., of Lafayette College, certain negative behaviors exhibited by one partner in a marriage can lead to long-term health problems in the other spouse. Participants in the study were all age 50 or older, currently married and in their first marriage. The study looked at five dimensions of marital quality (disagreement, positive and negative spousal behaviors, overall quality of the relationship, and marital communication) and on four indicators of physical health (physical symptoms, chronic health problems, physical disability and perceived health).

The study concluded that the marital quality of the relationship does contribute significantly to the physical health of adults, according to Bookwala. The occurrence of negative behaviors such as making excessive demands, being argumentative or overly critical, and being unreliable were all associated with poorer physical health. It's particularly interesting that the negative behaviors outweighed any positive behaviors common to the marriage in influencing physical health.

It could be that continued negative spousal behaviors may have a cumulative and long-term effect on health outcomes similar to those associated with other chronic psychological stressors such as being a caregiver.

To help improve marital quality and lower the risk of chronic health problems, marital therapy may be a wise intervention.