Lose Your Wife, Lose Your Mind[1]
A recent study from Michigan State University (https://academic.oup.com/psychsocgerontology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/geronb/gbz087/5524771?redirectedFrom=fulltext#140015804) found a relationship between marital status and the likelihood of developing dementia. Studying 15,000 adults over the age of 52 for a 14 year period, those who were married had the lowest incidence of developing dementia while those who were divorced had the highest incidence of dementia. Further, the effect was most pronounced for men.
This adds to a large body of research that has documented the benefits of marriage (health-wise and beyond) and the detrimental effects of divorce. If you are both willing to do the work, there is hope. People are capable of making positive changes in their lives and relationships. If I didn’t find that to be true, I would be in a different line of work. But as Grandma used to say, “It takes two to tango.”
Marriages are worth fighting for, even if it is hard.
Like the song says, “You better keep her, I think it’s cheaper…”[2]
[1] Don’t you think that is a much more interesting title than “Marital Status and Dementia: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study”
[2] The reference is, of course, “Makin’ Whoopee”