You Might Need A "Marriage Checkup"
By Sarah Harrison. Posted on .
Today we bring you two studies about marital satisfaction. It is, in fact, possible to have a happy marriage! Read on to find out how…
An ongoing study by the National Institutes of Health suggests that a yearly "marriage checkup" could help people's unions—and bodies—stay healthy. Sixty-eight couples participated in the study; their averages were 47 and 44 for men and women respectively and they'd been married an average of 15 years. Half of them engaged in therapy, which included two sessions: one where they answered a series of questions about the state of their union, and a second where spouses visit the therapist and talk about the marriage.
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Six months later the pairs who had received counseling reported increased intimacy, feelings of acceptance and ability to cooperate, while therapy-less duos showed no changes. The lead researcher hopes marriage checkups will "catch the potentially damaging processes in a relationship before they actually do any real significant damage."
Another way to improve a marriage? Kick out the kids! According to a UC Berkley study, women see improvements in their marriages after their children have moved out of the house. No matter the number of children, or number of marriages, women were happier with their unions when it was just woman, man and home. Interesting, the lady study participants didn't report more satisfaction with their lives, just with their marriages.
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As one woman said, "At first, it is very quiet, but there is a lot of good in the lack of noise. We got good at having conversations. Our time is about us."
So basically, being a childless couple that goes to therapy is the path to marital success! But seriously if you are considering counseling, check out our "Three Reasons To Seek Couples Therapy." And if you're stuck with a house full of gremlins for the next few years, watch our video "Don't Let Kids Ruin Your Sex Life."
