‘Toxic’ marriages damage health more than smoking or drinking, study says

The Grant Study first began in 1938 and followed hundreds of Harvard-educated men to measure their lifestyle, habits, health, and happiness over their lifetimes.

The children and spouses of the original participants as well as working-class locals were eventually included in the research.

Trinity Professor Luke O’Neill told The Pat Kenny Show that the latest report on the study is the “most comprehensive” to date and reveals how healthy relationships are key to a happy life.

He explained: “It’s not about money. Wealth does not correlate to happiness at all. Some of them became broke and some of their businesses failed. So, it’s not about money, it’s not about your flash car or even your occupation.

“None of those were predictors of happiness. In the end, it's obvious: human relationships. That's the single most important factor for happiness. And loneliness is a killer, that’s the other big conclusion.

“People who ended up lonely... they had terrible outcomes. They often had drink problems, they were dying younger, and they were reporting real negative stuff in the questionnaire.

“Good friendships and relationships are critical for your personal happiness”.

The study also highlighted the “benefits of positive relationships and found that “toxic” marriages can even damage your health in the long run.

“Toxic relationships are negative... It drags you down and makes you unhappy, so divorce could be a good solution for some people.

“If you’re over 50 and have a good relationship with your spouse, that was a strong predictor of your health when you’re 80, better than cholesterol.

“But if you're in a toxic marriage at the age of 50, that was more damaging to your health than high cholesterol.

“It’s worse than being a smoker or drinker.

“They would have been measuring cholesterol as well, but if there were men with high cholesterol who were in a good relationship, that was less of a risk factor. The good relationship was a protector”.

He continued: “They reckon it’s because of resilience. If you have a supportive spouse or friend, you’re more resilient to the vicissitudes of life.

“And all these men were having troubles and health issues, but if you’re in a strong relationship with a good network around you, you could cope with that.

“The second one was pain, such as a people with arthritis. They could tolerate it more if they were in a happy relationship”.