I've come across this very interesting article on Four Types of Marriages:
1. Supportive - high in support, low in strain
2. Ambivalent - high in support, high in strain
3. Indifferent - low in support, low in strain
4. Aversive - low in support, high in strain
Which one is yours?! ;-)
The author of this article David Ludden defines Support as "any interaction in the marriage that boosts physical or psychological well-being" and Strain includes those "interactions that damage physical or psychological well-being."
Supportive marriages seem to be the Happiest and yield the Best health outcomes for both Men and Women whereas Couples in Aversive marriages tend to be the Unhappiest.
Ludden's informative article begins with these insightful lines:
Plenty of research shows that being married is generally good for your physical and psychological health. Spouses aren’t just companions and intimate partners; they also help each other maintain healthy habits, and they provide emotional support in times of need. However, there’s also plenty of research showing that bad marriages are far worse for people’s health than not being married at all. Even when there’s no physical or psychological abuse, the frequent tensions that arise from conflicts and complaints can lead to considerable physical and psychological harm. As people enter their senior years, marriage becomes even more important in their lives. When they retire, they tend to lose the network of relationships that can help offset some of the tensions at home. Likewise, grown children leave home and often move far away, while friendships shrink in number due to loss of mutual interests, health problems, or death.
To read the rest of this article and its relevant research findings, you can click here
Happy Reading,
Cheers
Aparna
