Married LGBT adults healthier, happier: Study

New York April 14 (IANS) For years studies have linked marriage with happiness among heterosexual couples. A new study now shows that the benefits of marriage extend to lesbian gay bisexual or transgender (LGBT) couples as well.

In the study published in the journal The Gerontologist LGBT participants who were married reported better physical and mental health more social support and greater financial resources than those who were single.

For the research Jayn Goldsen from the University of Washington and her colleagues used survey data from more than 1 800 LGBT people aged 50 and older in locations where gay marriage was already legal in the US in 2014.

About one-fourth were married another fourth were in a committed relationship and half were single.

Married respondents had spent an average of 23 years together while those in a committed unmarried relationship had spent an average of 16 years.

Among the study participants more women were married than men.

Researchers found that in general participants in a relationship whether married or in a long-term partnership showed better health outcomes than those who were single.

But those who were married fared even better both socially and financially than couples in unmarried long-term partnerships.

Single LGBT adults were more likely to have a disability; to report lower physical psychological social and environmental quality of life; and to have experienced the death of a partner especially among men the findings showed.

--IANS
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