Unmarried people may face higher risk of depression. Here's why

Depression is a significant global health challenge influenced by numerous factors, with social relationships playing a particularly crucial role. Research has shown that high levels of loneliness correlate with increased depression, and stable, loving long-term relationships may serve as a protective buffer against depressive symptoms. This may suggest that marriage or having a partner could potentially act as a safeguard against depression. 

According to Psychology Today, a groundbreaking study recently published in Nature Human Behaviour by Zhai and colleagues (2024) has addressed some key limitations of previous research on the relationship between marriage and depression.  

The study 

Earlier studies were often constrained by their focus on Western cultures and relatively small sample sizes. This new research took a more comprehensive approach, analysing data from seven diverse countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Ireland, Korea, China, and Indonesia.  

The study's impressive sample size of approximately 541 million people, combined with its analysis of various factors such as gender and education level, lends considerable weight to its findings. 

The study's results say that unmarried individuals consistently demonstrated a higher risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to their married counterparts across all seven countries. However, the relationship between marital status and depression showed interesting variations based on several factors.  

Gender is crucial 

Western countries exhibited a stronger correlation between being unmarried and depressed compared to Eastern countries. Gender also played a role, with unmarried men showing a greater susceptibility to depressive symptoms than unmarried women. 

Also read: Kate Middleton resumes royal duties slowly after a ‘brutal’ year for the royal family

Similarly, higher education levels were associated with an increased risk of depression among unmarried individuals. The research also identified specific behavioural mechanisms, namely alcohol consumption and smoking, as potential pathways through which unmarried individuals may develop more depressive symptoms.