Widows would have little stress compared to those woman, whose husbands are alive, study says.

In one of the previous studies, it was found out that, marriage lowers the risks of heart attack, depression and the chances of cancer.

The latest studies conducted by the University of Padova in Italy, proved that,  men suffer negative consequences after wife’s death, because they rely heavily on their spouse.

According to the lead researcher Caterina Trevisan, wife’s presence brings benefits like health and household management, whereas women are “more likely to feel stressed and find their role restrictive and frustrating.”

“Since women generally have a longer lifespan than men, married women may also suffer from the effects of caregiver burden, since they often devote themselves to caring for their husband in later life,” Trevisan said.

"Widows cope better than widowers with the stress deriving from the loss of a partner and widowhood, with a significant increase in the risk of depression only in the latter," said Trevisan.

Also read: Mental stress might be the reason behind physical fatigue, says study

According to the researchers, widows were about 23% less likely to be stressed, compared to the married women.

733 Italian men and 1154 women took part in this study for four and a half years and only then, the results are declared to be true.
 
Bachelors were almost four times and widowers one-and-a half times more likely to be frail than their married peers.

"Our results partially contrast with previous reports of a weaker, but still protective effect of marriage on mortality, health status, and depression in women, as in men," said Trevisan.

By Phani Ch