Fighting Spouses Live Longer

Even in the best of relationships, conflicts are bound to happen from time to time. As it turns out, a good argument with your spouse can be healthy. Surveys of married couples suggest that spouses who hold in their anger die earlier than couples who express their feelings. It appears that when conflict occurs, the key is how the couple resolves the matter.

The findings from the current study, which was published in the Journal of Family Communication, add to past research showing the health benefits of releasing anger. Many studies show that people who hold in their anger have higher levels of stress, which tends to shorten lives. The couples in the study who suppressed their anger had a higher mortality rate than couples who were able to effectively deal with and resolve their conflicts.

If you bury your anger and don't try to resolve the problem, it has medical consequences. Couples who lived longer were effective at resolving conflict, that is, they were better at expressing their anger, communicating their feelings and issues, and problem-solving. It seems to be worth it to work things out.