The health benefits of marriage are exaggerated and tend to fade over time according to a new study published in the current issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family.

The study examined the differences between married, single and cohabiting people in terms of social ties and well-being, including mental health.

The study’s authors say they “found the similarities between marriage and cohabitation to be more striking than the differences.”

They say:  “Entering into any union improved psychological well-being and reduced contact with parents and friends.”

They continue: “The married fared better in health than cohabitors, but the opposite was true of happiness and self-esteem.”

In addition: “We found no evidence that marriage and cohabitation provide benefits over being single in the realm of social ties; indeed, entering into a union reduced contact with parents and social evenings with friends.”

The authors conclude: “We are certainly not saying that marriage is irrelevant for individual well-being. What we have found is simply that, once individual differences are taken into account, it is far from being a blanket prescription for individual well-being.”

On this basis, they question whether the money spent by some governments on promoting marriage would be better spent in other ways.

The findings are based on a study of 2,727 single, married and cohabiting people drawn from the US National Survey of Families and Households.