HealthDay News recently reported on new research, which confirms that women who are involved in a good marriage are able to shake off the day’s stress when they come home. Researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles followed thirty couples, who were married, parenting children, and employed in full-time jobs. Researchers performed saliva test on each of the sixty spouses four times a day (early morning, late morning, afternoon and evening) for a three-day period to test for cortisol, a hormone released by the body when it is under stress.

Spouses also completed a survey about their satisfaction with their marriage and questionnaires about their day twice daily. Happily married women showed more of a drop in cortisol levels, after a tough day at the office, than those who were not as happily married. The women who were less happily married also showed a daily pattern of cortisol release that was flatter, which suggests that they are not rebounding as well from stress everyday.

The men in the study all showed a drop in cortisol levels at the end of the day whether or not they were happily married. Having elevated cortisol levels for a long time is thought to cause other problems such as depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, relationship problems, poor social adjustment, and possibly even cancer.

My blog mate, Julie, recently reported that many couples with special needs children end up divorced in “Staying Married While Raising A Child Like Mine.” Of course, we all know that raising a child with special needs can be very stressful with no end in sight.

Reuters Health reported a study with similar findings that took place at University College in London. Nearly 3,000 healthy British adults between the ages of 50 and 74 had their cortisol levels tested six times a day by giving saliva samples. Participants recorded their mood after each saliva sample was collected.

Researchers found that those adults who reported having happier dispositions had lower levels of cortisol. Happier people tend to have better health than people who are consistently stressed, hostile, or pessimistic according to long-time research.

photo credit Cheryl Claussen 2007