Post Date December, 03 2023
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have found through research that if only one spouse has a drinking habit, excessive alcohol consumption can have a negative impact on marriage.
The researchers tracked 634 couples' marriage life for nine years since their wedding, and found that those couples who only had one spouse drank heavily had a much higher divorce demography than other couples.
However, when both the husband and wife drink a lot, their divorce demography is the same as the divorce demography of both the husband and wife who do not drink a lot.
Our research results indicate that differences in drinking habits between couples, rather than alcohol consumption itself, can lead to marital dissatisfaction, separation, or even divorce, "said Kenneth Leonard, PhD, a psychologist and lead author of this study.
During the nine year study, nearly 50% of couples who only drank a lot ended up divorced, while the divorce demography of other couples was only 30% (the definition of "heavy drinking" was six or more drinks at a time or drinking led to poisoning).
This study provides conclusive evidence to support the clich é d claim that heavy drinking by one spouse can lead to divorce, "Leonard said.
Although some people may think this is the most likely outcome, there is currently very little data to support this claim
The surprising result is that the divorce demography of two heavy drinkers is basically the same as that of two non heavy drinkers.
Due to their own drinking habits, spouses who consume a lot of alcohol are more tolerant of negative experiences related to alcohol, "Leonard said.
But he warned that this does not mean that other aspects of family life will not be affected. Two heavy drinkers may not divorce, but they create an extremely harsh family environment for their children
The researchers also found that if heavy drinkers were wives rather than husbands, the divorce demography would be relatively high.
Leonard warned that this difference is based on the fact that a few wives are heavy drinkers, while the husband is not a married couple, and therefore does not have statistical significance.
He suggests that if this difference is supported by further research, it may be because men believe that their wife's heavy drinking behavior violates women's appropriate gender roles, leading to more conflicts.
The study compared some factors, such as cannabis and tobacco use, depression and socioeconomic status, which may also be related to marital dissatisfaction, separation and divorce.
Finally, we hope that our research findings can be helpful to marriage therapists and mental health practitioners in exploring whether differences in drinking habits are the cause of conflicts between couples seeking help, "Leonard said.
