Couples need more than love to last
Wednesday 18 November 2009
Are you relying on love to make you and your spouse’s relationship last the distance? Well, according to a new study, love just might not be enough to guarantee that happily ever after.
A new piece of research by the Australian National University was conducted to determine the factors that influenced couples who divorced or separated and those that remained together.
It followed 2,500 couples who were married or living together over a six year period.
The study, titled ‘What's Love Got To Do With It’, claims that age, previous relationships and income are all influencing factors that determine whether a marriage or partnership will last.
Figures indicate that a quarter of relationships will end within six years, and half within 25 years.
This is increased for partners who are on their second or third marriage, as they are reportedly 90 per cent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
‘This type of research could be used by those considering marriage as a basis for discussion,’ said report author Dr Rebecca Kippen.
‘For example, are there shared values, interests and expectations? If one partner loses their job, how will the couple deal with this?’ she mused.
The study also suggested that men who get married before they turn 25 are twice as likely to divorce than their more mature counterparts.
What's more, a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced according to the study.
Having children before marriage also apparently increases chances of separation, with one in five couples that had children before marriage later separating.
In contrast, couples that didn't have children before marriage had a one in ten chance of separating.
Money matters also played a major role in influencing a relationship’s survival, as 16 per cent of low-income respondents separated during the study, compared to only nine per cent of couples with healthy finances.
Surprisingly factors such as country of birth, religious background, the wife’s’ employment status and education levels appeared to be less important.
By Toyin Owoseje
Do you agree that relationships need more than just LOVE to survive?