A new study from the University of Michigan suggests that couples who drink together, stay together. But is alcohol really the determining factor?
For anyone who's ever spent an evening sitting at the kitchen table guzzling pinot noir with your significant other or out at the bar cheersing to your anniversary, we've got good news.
While it might not be that great for your liver, it's wonderful for your relationship, according to Mashable. The couple that imbibes together, survives together.
The great booze news comes from research that was published in The Journals of Gerontology Series B, which concludes that "drinking couples reported decreased negative marital quality over time," for those over 50. Researchers assessed answers from 2,767 couples who had been married for an average of 33 years and noted there was a specific connection with the happiness of wives that drank.
“Wives who reported drinking alcohol reported decreased negative marital quality over time when husbands also reported drinking and increased negative marital quality over time when husbands reported not drinking," the abstract explains.
The results from the University of Michigan survey also suggest that the couples who were on the same page with their drinking habits were way happier compared to those in which one person was ordering their third rum and Coca-Cola, while their partner was completely sober.
The takeaway? It didn’t matter if they refrained or indulged, as long as they were doing either one together.
"We’re not suggesting that people should drink more or change the way they drink," Dr. Kira Birditt of the University of Michigan told Reuters. "We’re not sure why this is happening, but it could be that couples that do more leisure time activities together have better marital quality."
It’s safe to say that just because couples who drank together reported a happier marriage, doesn't mean that they didn’t have their share of problems, too.
Birditt also told Reuters that while this is good news, drinking among older people is becoming more of a problem, "especially among baby boomers, who seem more accepting of alcohol use."
"Serious heavy drinkers have disruptive relationships with people, particularly their partners," University of Michigan's Dr. Fred Blow told Reuters. "That’s an important issue that should be looked at going forward."
Bottom line: People with drinking problems also often had issues with holding a steady partner, so booze alone will not make a relationship thrive. Like alcohol ads tell you: Drink responsibly.
And it’s apparent you must marry responsibly, too.
Banner/thumbnail image credit: Flickr user freestocks.org
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