Why people without a partner are 80% more likely to develop depression

THE depression It is a mental disorder which, in recent years, has become a problem of global public health . It is estimated that approximately 3.8% of the population suffers from this disease, as described in World Health Organization (WHO) .

Science has sought to explore the factors that could trigger it through different studies. And now, The researchers suggested that the marital status could be a potential risk for depression which is characterized by feelings of sadness and loss of interest in daily activities.

In a new study published in the journal Human behavior , A team of Chinese scientists suggests that single people may be nearly 80% more likely to suffer from depression than those who are married.

The work, which sought to examine the association between this mental health problem and marital status, is one of the first in the field to consider samples from different cultural contexts, as it included both Western countries and oriental.

The research conducted by Macau Polytechnic University in China included the participation of 106,556 adults from seven countries, including United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Ireland, Korea, China and Indonesia who were followed between 4 and 18 years.

Of the total participants, 22,490 described having depressive symptoms.

After reviewing participant data and taking into account a number of factors, including age, gender, education, smoking, body mass index and health status, the team identified that people who were not in a relationship were more likely to develop this mental disorder.

Specifically, single people were 79% more likely to experience depressive symptoms than married people; those who were divorced or separated were 99% more likely, and finally, those who were widowed were 64% more likely than those who were married.

The study by researcher Kefeng Li suggests that singles who were at significantly higher risk of developing depressive symptoms came from western countries i.e. USA, UK and Ireland. More precisely, these were the men And people with a higher level of education slogan Tutor .

The above, as they explained, could happen due to how emotional distress is handled in different cultural contexts, the fact that women might have strong social bonds, and possibly those with a high levels of education face more pressures.

He alcohol consumption This could be one reason why people who are single, divorced/separated or widowed are more likely to develop depressive symptoms throughout their lives, the study describes. This discovery has occurred in at least China, Mexico and South Korea.

The authors claim that the smoking could be another reason for the association in China and Mexico.

On the other hand, the team points out that low levels of depression in married people may arise due to the social support that occurs in the relationship, greater access to economic resources and a positive influence on the good -to be of each.

“The study highlights the importance of developing culturally sensitive interventions and support systems to address the elevated vulnerability to depression among single people, particularly those with higher risk profiles by country, gender and the level of education. » said Kefeng Li, a researcher at the Polytechnic University of Macau, according to The Guardian.

The investigation, the team recognizes, has some boundaries for example that the data were obtained through self-report questionnaires and that all people who participated were heterosexual.

“This does not prove that being single directly causes depression or that getting married prevents or cures depression,” Li added to British media. From his point of view, the quality of the relationship in married people can also be something significant, although this aspect was not included in this research.