Individuals who are not married may have approximately 80% increased likelihood of experiencing depression compared to their married counterparts, according to recent research findings.
The investigation revealed that the susceptibility to depression among unmarried individuals tends to be greater in males and those with higher educational attainment.
Researchers believe these insights may assist in recognizing individuals who are more vulnerable to developing this condition.
The study’s authors propose that the lower incidence of depression observed among married individuals could be attributed to the social support couples provide one another, enhanced access to financial resources, and the beneficial effect they have on each other’s mental health.
They examined data from over 100,000 participants across seven nations, with nearly 7,000 respondents from the UK.
Out of approximately 222 individuals from the UK’s 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS), symptoms of depression were reported.
From this group, 73 were married, 62 were single, 55 had experienced divorce or separation, and 32 were widowed.
“Our cross-national analysis indicates that unmarried individuals may face a heightened risk of depression, and any strategies aimed at reducing this risk should take into account cultural context, gender, educational background, and substance use,” stated Kefeng Li from Macao Polytechnic University in Macau, China, along with colleagues in the esteemed journal Nature Human Behaviour.
Divorced or separated individuals exhibited a 99% higher probability of depression
The study, which also included participants from the US, Mexico, Ireland, South Korea, China, and Indonesia, over a follow-up duration of four to 18 years, found that being unmarried correlated with a 79% increased risk of depressive symptoms in comparison to those in marriage.
Moreover, it discovered that individuals who had divorced or separated faced a 99% higher risk of displaying signs of depression.
Furthermore, those who were widowed had a 64% elevated risk compared to individuals who were married.
According to the research, unmarried individuals residing in Western nations showed a greater risk of depression as opposed to those in Eastern countries.
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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 280 million individuals worldwide suffer from depression, representing around 5% of the global adult population.
The researchers emphasized that the data was gathered through self-reported surveys rather than clinical diagnoses of depression.
They also clarified that all couples included in the analysis were heterosexual.
