Married Couples Often Share Mental Health Patterns, Psychiatric Disorders: New Study

In a world where mental health is gradually coming into open conversation, a new and large-scale study has thrown up findings that may surprise many: spouses are more likely to share psychiatric troubles than previously assumed. The research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, examined nine psychiatric disorders and found that if one partner has any of them, the other has elevated risk of having it too, either the same disorder or a different but related one. The study, spanning people born from the 1930s through the 1990s, shows that for most disorders, from depression and anxiety to ADHD and substance use, there is a consistent correlation between partners, across cultures and generations. This trend holds true over decades, as observed in over 5 million spousal pairs across Taiwan, Denmark and Sweden.

In India, where social and familial bonds are tight, and marriage involves not just partners but extended family, such a finding has particular importance. From arranged marriages to caregiving roles, the way Indians understand, respond to, and live with mental illness is shaped by cultural, economic, and societal factors. Let's explore what the international study found, how Indian couples might interpret and internalize those findings, and what steps might help.

What The Study Found

It is very important to note right at the outset that while this new study in Nature Human Behaviour is relevant for spouses everywhere, the study itself was not based on Indian societal, cultural or family settings. Keeping this in mind, here are the key findings of the study:

• Data was drawn from nearly 5 million married/spousal pairs in Taiwan and comparisons with large national registries in Denmark (571,534 pairs) and Sweden (707,263 pairs).
• Disorders studied included schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, OCD, substance-use disorder, and anorexia nervosa.
• Spousal correlation means that when one spouse is diagnosed with one of these disorders, the chance that the other spouse also has a psychiatric disorder is significantly higher than random. The same-disorder correlation (both partners having the same disorder) is especially strong in many cases.
• These patterns are stable over time (for people born across decades) and consistent across the different countries, despite differences in health systems, stigma, culture, diagnostic practices.

Photo Credit: Pexels

Why It Might Be Happening

The authors behind this peer-reviewed study suggest several possible mechanisms through which this spousal correlation is happening:

• Assortative mating: People tend to pick partners who are similar to them, not just on visible traits like education or religion, but possibly on mental health traits (diagnosed or subclinical).
• Shared environment / life stressors or convergence: Spouses share day-to-day life encompassing household stress, economic pressures, family responsibilities, all of which might contribute to worsening or revealing psychiatric symptoms in the partner who was previously undiagnosed or mild.
• Stigma and choice constraints: People with psychiatric disorders may have smaller pool of potential partners due to stigma, reducing choice, leading to higher chance of marrying someone with similar conditions.

What This Means For Indian Spouses

While the study itself doesn't have any direct recommendations that fit the Indian scenario, here are some lessons Indian spouses can consider:

• Awareness And Screening: Indian couples may often dismiss early symptoms of psychiatric disorders, attributing them to stress, work, or family tensions. If one spouse has depression, anxiety or substance use disorder, the partner might also benefit from being alert to similar symptoms.
• Reduced Stigma And Early Help: India has significant stigma around mental health; many avoid seeking diagnosis or treatment. Understanding that disorders can "run in the partnership" may encourage earlier help-seeking, both for oneself and for one's partner.
• Marriage And Counselling Context: In arranged or semi-arranged marriages, where partners meet later, mutual knowledge about mental health may be limited. Premarital counselling, or at least disclosure and understanding, may become more relevant.
• Impact On Children: The study notes that children with two parents diagnosed with the same psychiatric disorder are at higher risk than those with only one. In Indian settings where multigenerational households are common, early detection and treatment could help reduce intergenerational burdens.

Why This Matters: Evidence From Related Indian Research

A 2013 Indian study of spouses of alcohol-dependent men found that 65% of spouses had psychiatric morbidity, mostly mood and anxiety disorders, and that marital satisfaction was significantly lower among them. Another Indian study comparing marital satisfaction in patients with schizophrenia vs bipolar affective disorder showed that those with schizophrenia reported notably poorer marital satisfaction.

Studies also show that quality of life in remitted psychiatric patients (schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder) correlates with how well they feel their marriage is going. Marital adjustment is poor in many, especially with schizophrenia. These studies reinforce that in India, like elsewhere, psychiatric illness has reverberations on marriage, caregiving, satisfaction and family well-being.

The Fan et al. study adds a substantial piece to the global understanding of how psychiatric disorders like depression intersect with one's closest relationships. For Indian couples, its message is both cautionary and hopeful. Cautionary, because psychiatric disorders do not occur in isolation. If one partner is affected, the other might be at elevated risk, whether by heredity, environment, or shared life stresses. Hopeful, because awareness, disclosure, support, and early intervention can help break cycles of suffering.

For individuals, couples, families, and mental health professionals in India, this means: begin conversations when things are mild, do not let stigma silence, consider both partners when diagnosing and treating, and remember that marriage, properly supported, can be a source of healing, not just strain.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.