Being a widow is good for health

Scientists from the University of Padua, Italy, found out that being a widow is not so bad in terms of a woman’s health. At the same time, loneliness is useful for both the physical and psychological state of women. Interestingly, for men, this rule works exactly the opposite. Study leader Caterina Trevisan, PhD, says having a spouse is a very positive thing for older men. It is about both household management and health status.

Women at this age, on the contrary, feel worse in family life and are often in a state of stress. After studying the lives of many couples of different ages, Dr. Trevisan found out an interesting pattern. Since women, on average, live longer than men, they feel the burden of caring for their husband, caring for him, children, and the home all their lives. This is not good for their quality of life. But the most amazing thing is that this rule also works for young women living in marriage. Men require more care and attention than children and also keep their significant other under stress. For most women, marriage is psychologically equivalent to motherhood.

A survey conducted among women with children showed that they rate the level of stress from family life at 8.5 points out of 10 possible. 46% of the women interviewed explicitly stated that their husbands give them more problems than small children. Another survey found that 75% of married women are sure that the care and upbringing of children lies entirely on their shoulders. 20% of young mothers believe that the main reason for their stressful state is the lack of help from their spouse. Well, almost everyone, with rare exceptions, said that their depressed psychological state was caused by nothing more than a chronic lack of time due to the need to constantly manage the household.

The University of Padua found that if the wife dies before the husband, the man’s condition worsens. But if a woman becomes a widow, then her health becomes noticeably better, and depression and stress become rare guests. Katerina Trevisan believes that this is due to the fact that men are used to relying more on their women than vice versa. But there is no need to wait until the faithful departs to another world, because there are ways to improve health and mood during his lifetime. Scientists from Padua believe that the key to the problem is that a woman must be aware that marriage is an equal partnership.

A wife has the right to give herself as much attention as her husband and is not at all obliged to put her life on the altar of marriage without a trace. Despite the data of this study, it is worth recognizing that many older couples are absolutely happy in marriage and even a temporary separation is a real drama for them.