The longer you stay single before the age of 25, the more benefits? Research confirms that life satisfaction and salary are generally higher after divorce
Will being single in youth affect life satisfaction and income in the future? Research published in the “Journal of Marriage and Family” shows that being single in one’s youth may help with the challenges and bottlenecks faced after a relationship breaks down. The study authors also said that this article is one of the few studies that explores the benefits of being single.
The longer a man remains single before the age of 25, the greater the benefits? Study confirms: life satisfaction is higher after divorce
A team from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands conducted a 36-year long-term follow-up of 1,003 subjects through data provided by the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). These subjects all experienced situations such as leaving home at a young age, breaking up or separating from married/unmarried partners, and were single or single for a period of time. The research mainly focuses on two factors: “life satisfaction” and “earned income”.
The research team used questionnaires to measure the subjects’ level of two indicators: life satisfaction was measured on an 11-point scale; labor income included employment income, welfare bonuses, etc. To ensure reliable results, the research team set several criteria for participants, including that they must be younger than 25 years old when they leave home, must be observed before and after separation, and potential variables must be thoroughly understood, such as education level.
Finally, the subjects were divided into 2 groups. The first group refers to those who started to be self-reliant after leaving home and have no partner; the second group refers to those who established a romantic relationship or partnership soon after leaving home. Analysis of the results of female subjects showed that whether they were initially single or married to their first partner did not have a significant impact on their life satisfaction; however, both groups of women experienced a decrease in life satisfaction in the year of divorce or breakup. decline.
As for men, the life satisfaction of men in the second group dropped more significantly in the year of divorce; however, for men in the first group, their life satisfaction tended to rebound rapidly after the initial decline. The study found that for men, the longer they were single before getting married, the less negative impact a breakup or divorce had on their life satisfaction. This phenomenon suggests that initially single men may have accumulated a certain level of skills and resources during their single years to help them better cope with a breakup crisis.
In terms of labor income, the annual labor income of women in the first group was higher than that of women in the second group 2 years before breakup or divorce. However, the income gap between the two narrowed after the breakup. There was no significant difference in the income of the two groups of women after one year of separation. For men, the labor income of men in the first group was higher in the 2 years before separation; interestingly, the income of men who got married immediately increased both 1 year after separation and 2 years after separation.
What are the potential benefits of being single for a long time? Marital crisis is less harmful to men
“We found that if men had been single before and had been single for a longer period of time, the ‘marital crisis’ would be much less harmful to them. In addition, single women already had higher incomes before the breakup, especially immediately after leaving home. Women’s earnings rise more after a breakup than women who get married, so women who are single for the first time may need to increase their labor market participation,” said study author Lonneke van den Berg.
Lonneke also pointed out that the research results come from domestic data in Germany and have certain limitations. In the future, analysis with a larger sample size cannot be ruled out. In addition, in terms of the mental health of singles, this study did not consider in depth whether the loneliness and depression of the subjects during their single years would affect their future relationship with their partners and even their psychological state after a breakup. It is worthy of further in-depth discussion.
Are people happier if they remarry after divorce? Study reveals 3 findings: Good for men’s mental health
Even if being single for a long time before marriage has potential benefits for life satisfaction, if you do not remarry after a breakup or divorce, may it be harmful to your mental health? China’s Xi’an Polytechnic University conducted a survey on 235 divorced people in 2021. The results showed that compared with divorced people, remarried people are less likely to suffer from depression and have better self-rated health.
Research points out that remarriage seems to have gender differences in promoting health. Remarriage has obvious benefits for men’s mental health, but has no significant correlation with women’s mental health. In addition to gender, the health-promoting effects of remarriage appear to be inversely related to increasing age. People who remarry at a younger age have a more significant improvement in their mental health than older people, while older people who remarry experience a diminishing trend in the benefits they enjoy from their marital relationship.
The impact of remarriage and divorce on individuals seems to be gradually being accepted as society opens up. Polish research points out that compared with divorced or widowed people, remarried people have a higher quality of life and less incidence of depression, especially among men. On the contrary, divorce or widowed people are more likely to suffer from mental health problems in single people. Affected, it is regarded as a hidden social and medical burden.
Relevant studies have shown that the risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic disease and mental illness tends to increase among single people after divorce, which seems to mean that divorce and widowhood are accompanied by an increase in mortality. Scientists remind in this study that remarriage may help reduce the overall social and medical burden; and the psychological state of singles requires more active attention from relevant units.
Source:
Remarriage after Divorce and Health in Later Life: Findings from CHARLS in China
The link between singlehood in young adulthood and effects of romantic separation
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