Recent articles dispute studies that claimed married people had better health and point to benefits such as greater contact with family and friends and more independent living.
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This report, originally published on July 27, 2017, was re-released on August 15, 2023, the date that marks Singles Day in Brazil.
Sharing your life with someone is indicated by many studies as beneficial to health. As early as the 19th century, there was research indicating that married people lead healthier lives, and more recent studies have shown that they have a lower risk of pneumonia, cancer, heart problems or surgery than people who live alone. .
But science is also examining the benefits being single can bring to people, including a life with more friends and social interactions, and with more goals and the determination to achieve them.
“We all grew up hearing, ‘marry and you won’t be lonely.’ But I never thought that would be my story,” said American researcher Bella DePaulo, 63, of the University from California to Santa Barbara (USA).
As a convinced single, she dedicated herself to studying happiness in this group of people.
For DePaulo, “concerns about the hardships of being alone can overshadow the benefits of being alone.”
In 2016, the researcher looked at studies that showed these benefits and found evidence that:
1. Singles often have more contact with friends
“We’re often told that ‘single people have no one,’ but the fact is, they often have more friends and work harder to maintain ties to parents, siblings, and their community,” she says.
“Meanwhile, married people tend to be more isolated [ou seja, viverem mais em ‘ilhas próprias’].”
This data comes from a 2015 study in the United States, which evaluated census surveys to understand the connections between American adult relatives, neighbors, and friends.
The researchers, in an article published in the Journal of social and personal relationshipsstate that “single people are more likely to stay in touch with and get help from parents, siblings, neighbors, and friends than married people. These differences are more apparent for those who have never been married than for those who have been married. “
What matters to health, according to DePaulo, is having people to open up to, rather than having a spouse or not.
2. Singles can enjoy greater autonomy and satisfaction
DePaulo argues that it is not only love that brings us a sense of wholeness, but also “autonomy, purpose and [a sensação de] be the master of our lives”.
“Single people pursue what matters most to them, [como] more meaningful work and more personal growth,” she argues. And, with greater self-reliance, these people were less likely to experience negative feelings.
Cite a study published in Journal of family problems which concludes that “although marriage continues to promote well-being for both men and women, in some cases, such as autonomy and personal growth, singles have fared better than married ones.”
Those singles surveyed by the study tended to agree more with the statements “For me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing and growing” and “I think it is important to have new experiences that challenge the way you see yourself and the world. “
3. Singles don’t necessarily have worse health than married people
A follow-up study to DePaulo’s poll also challenged the notion that married people’s health is always better.
Published in March 2017 in the magazine social forcesof Oxford University Press, the research by Matthijs Kalmijn, of the University of Amsterdam, used data collected in Switzerland over 16 years and “challenges the theory of health protection” that would benefit married people.
The researcher questioned the participants each year about their health. And he found no improvement in the life of the married couple, stressing that more studies are needed to advance the matter.
“Evidence suggests that marriage has more to do with mental than physical health,” Kalmijn writes.
“We hypothesize that marriage is more related to a positive assessment of a person’s life than to an improvement in their health.”
It is worth mentioning, however, that there is ample scientific evidence of the favorable effects provided by happy marriages, from increased economic stability to the mutual support cultivated between spouses.
For DePaulo, highlighting the benefits of celibacy isn’t about dismissing those of marriage, it’s about “seeking the lifestyle that works best for each person.”
“What matters is not doing what other people think we should be doing, but rather looking for spaces where we can be who we really are and allow ourselves to live the best of our lives,” she said in a 2016 presentation for Associação American Psychology .
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
