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Unhappily married women stressed for longer
2 January 2008
The stress levels of happily married women return to normal quicker than their less-happily married counterparts, according to new research.
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A high concentration of the stress hormone cortisol has long been associated with a number of conditions including depression and chronic fatigue.
The University of California, Los Angeles, study is the first to link daily cortisol patterns to marital satisfaction for women but not men.
Researchers examined the levels of cortisol among 30 married couples engaged in raising children while both working full-time.
Its findings suggest that whereas men seem to get a health and longevity boost from marriage, women only get this benefit if the marriage is a happy one.
Co-author Rena Repetti said many women come home after a busy day only to immediately launch into another stressful routine.
"Perhaps in happily married couples the demands of domestic life are being shared more equitably between men and women, or at least that may be the case when wives return home from a demanding day at work," she suggested.
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