Citation

Kovács E, Balog P, Mészáros E, Kopp M. Mentalhigiene es Pszichoszomatika 2013; 14(3): 205-230.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013)

DOI

10.1556/Mental.14.2013.3.2

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In research on mental health, family status is often considered as a control variable. This shows that psychological health depends on the family status as well that gives a framework for everyday life. Marital status and relationship quality strongly affect the development of psychological well-being.

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between marital status (married, cohabiting, divorced) and mental health in the cross-sectional sample of Hungarostudy 2006. A data of 3,293 adults was analyzed.

METHODS: Married and cohabiting individuals were divided into high and low stress groups according to the Short Stockholm Marital Stress Scale in order to investigate whether mental health is affected by the spouse / partner relationship quality. Subjective well-being, interpersonal stress, anxiety, symptoms of depression, and suicidal thoughts were investigated as indicators of mental health.

RESULTS: According to our results, those people have the best mental health indicators who live in a good marriage or in a good partnership. These groups were significantly characterized by better psychological well-being, less depression, less anxiety, lower levels of social stress and the idea of suicide arises less often among them. In contrast, people living in a bad marriage or poor cohabiting relationship have the worst mental health indicators.

CONCLUSION: A high quality partnership plays an important role in preserving and improving mental health.

Language: hu

Keywords

mental health; marital status; családi állapot; házastársi/élettársi kapcsolat minosége; marital stress; mentális egészségi állapot; quality of relationship; stressz