Married or just cohabitating?Thinking of moving in with your partner but hearing an earful from your mother?
Meet your ammunition: A new study in the February issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family found that cohabitating couples are happier than married ones.
Using data from the National Survey of Families and Households, the researchers looked at wellbeing among 2,737 single men and women, 896 of whom married or moved in with a partner over a six-year period. (Singles weren't always partner-less, just unmarried and living separately.)
Shortly after marrying or moving in together, couples were happier and showed fewer depressive symptoms than singles-but the benefits faded quickly. And single people kept closer ties with parents and friends, which can buffer mental health and lower stress.
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Married couples' health improved (possibly due to joint health insurance), but those who opted to live together in unwedded bliss experienced bigger boosts in happiness
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