It is fairly well-known that about half of all first marriages end in divorce. The number of divorces for second and subsequent marriages is even higher. There are also many marriages where the couple is unhappy, yet they still stay together. It is estimated that about 20 percent of married couples experience marital distress. Marital distress can cause anxiety, depression, sadness, tension, and worry. All of these emotions can have a serious impact on a person’s health.
In fact, a new study has found that a bad marriage does not just break your heart emotionally – it can actually break your heart physically. According to the study’s findings, heart attack survivors who are in marriages where there is a lot of stress and unhappiness are at a higher risk of having a difficult recovery than those who are in happy marriages.
The Study
The study was conducted by researchers from the Yale School of Public Health, who tracked approximately 1,600 adults who had been treated for a heart attack between the years 2008 and 2012. Participants were between the ages of 18 to 55 and were either in a committed partnership or marriage.
...