WELLINGTON?Marriage really is good for you as it reduces the risks of depression and anxiety, according to a recent international study.

But say goodbye to marriage and it?s hello, therapy.

A study of nearly 34,500 people in 15 countries found married people are less
likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and substance abuse, according to clinical psychologist Kate Scott of New Zealand?s University of Otago.

?What our study points to is that the marital relationship offers a lot of mental health benefits for both men and women, and that the distress and disruption associated with ending marriage can make people vulnerable to developing mental disorders,? Scott said on Tuesday.

Being separated, divorced or widowed is associated with the increased risk of mental health disorders in both men and women, particularly with depression in men and drugs and alcohol abuse in women.

?One of the more important findings is that in recent years it has been asserted that marriage is better for men than for women in terms of mental health. This study does not agree with that position,? Scott said.

?We found that compared to never getting married, getting married is good for both men and women in terms of most mental health disorders.?

Unique study

What makes the study unique and robust is that ?the sample is so large and across so many countries and the fact that we have data not only on depression ... but also on anxiety and substance use disorders,? Scott said in a statement.

?In addition, we were able to look at what happens to mental health in marriage, both in comparison with never getting married and with ending marriage.?

The study, however, did find that men are less likely to become depressed in their first marriage than women, a factor Scott said was probably linked to the traditional gender roles at home, as other similar surveys have shown that as women get better educated, depression rates tend to fall.

The other gender difference the study found is that getting married reduces the risk of substance use disorders more for women than for men.

This may be explained by the fact that women are usually the primary caregiver for young children, according to Scott.

Downside

However, the downside of marriage, the University of Otago study shows, is that ending it has a negative impact on both genders.

?What our study points to is that the marital relationship offers a lot of mental health benefits for both men and women, and that the distress and disruption associated with ending a marriage can make people vulnerable to developing mental disorders,? Scott said.

The study was recently published in the British journal Psychological Medicine. It was conducted in association with the World Health Organization, Harvard University and a number of other international organizations.