In Relationships, Quality Matters

The health benefits of being married are related to the quality of the couple’s relationship according to a recent article in the New York Times.

All marriages have ups and downs, but some couples enjoy marriages with a generally positive emotional climate. Other relationships are more ambivalent with partners experiencing unpredictable support and negativity.

In a recent study of 96 childless heterosexual couples, 77% were in ambivalent marriages with a mix of positive and negative feelings about each other. These ambivalent couples had significantly higher blood pressure than the couples in consistently supportive relationships. The bad news is that a majority of couples are not getting the full health benefits of marriage and the good news is that couples who work to improve the quality of their relationship would be rewarded with better health.

These new findings add to the growing scientific evidence that the health effects of marriage are related to the quality of the couple relationship.

Another researcher who studies the effects of relationship quality to health, James Coan of the University of Virginia, commented in the article, “I think about relationships like the stock market – there are bull markets and bear markets in any short period of time, but if you take the long view, the investment almost always pays off.”

Taking The Long View

Interested in feeling closer to your partner and investing in a more loving connection?

Join us Saturday, November 7th for Hold Me Tight, a one-day relationship enhancement workshop for couples!

The class uses videos, group discussions, role-plays, and exercises (practiced privately) in a safe and supportive atmosphere.

Have a question about the article or the workshop? Contact me today!