Effects of Marriage on Health: A Synthesis of Recent Research Evidence

Marriage has become an increasingly important topic in academic and policy research. A burgeoning literature suggests that marriage has a wide range of benefits, including improvements in individuals’ economic well-being and mental and physical health, as well as the well-being of their children. Inspired, in part, by these potential benefits of marriage, several large-scale federal initiatives have been launched in recent years that aim to encourage and support marriage. This synthesis focuses on recent research evidence concerning one of these potential benefits of marriage – the effects of marriage on health. In general, married people are healthier than those who are not married across a wide array of health outcomes.