The health benefits of marriage are exaggerated and tend to fade over time according to a new study [1] 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.