There is nothing like the feeling of being in a relationship. And, there is nothing like the feeling you get when that relationship ends.

The first is euphoria, and studies show that couples have better health than their single friends. But, now research on the health of people after a break up shows that good health can quickly disappear.

A Canadian study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family shows people who have broken up have one of the highest rates of illness.

"Leaving a co-habitation tends to have a detrimental effect on health," said lead author Dr. Zheng Wu of the University of Victoria.

Wu and his co-author Randy Hart obtained their results from nationwide surveys on physical and mental health and relationship status, conducted by Statistics Canada at 2-year intervals starting in the 1990s. There were 9,775 participants, both gay and heterosexual, aged 20 to 64 years when the surveys began.

Looking at this data, the researchers found that both men and women tend to report a decrease in physical or mental health after ending either a co-habitation or a marriage.

Researchers have proposed two theories to explain why married people report better health than noncoupled people. One supposes that healthier people are more likely to get partnered, while the other, called the "marriage protection hypothesis," suggests that couples improve their health by providing each other with social and financial support, and by monitoring each other's health behaviors.

They conclude that "protection effects" may explain much of why married or co-habitating couples experience health gains. The findings also suggest that living together and being married are similar in terms of health benefits gained.

"Although there are some differences between marital and nonmarital unions, our research suggests that in terms of health outcomes, the two are quite similar," they write. "The finding that co-habitation and marriage share similar health consequences lends credence to the notion that co-habitation has become a viable form of family living."

©365Gay.com Ltd® 2004

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