For better or for worse, your drinking habits could be a major predictor of your marriage's success, according to a comprehensive new research review. A team from the University of Buffalo has discovered that the compatibility of a couple's alcohol consumption is a crucial factor in determining the stability and happiness of their union.
The Harmony of the Glass
Couples who share similar drinking patterns – whether they both abstain completely or are both regular drinkers – tend to report significantly happier marriages. The researchers analysed dozens of previous studies focusing on alcohol's effects on relationships and found a consistent pattern: marital satisfaction is highest when partners are on the same page about alcohol.
This means that if you regularly enjoy a few glasses of wine with dinner while your partner sticks to sparkling water, it could spell trouble for your relationship. The team concluded that 'marital partners who have similar patterns of alcohol consumption fare better than those with discrepant patterns of consumption.'
The Data Behind the Drinks
One key study from 2012 examined couples in New Zealand and found that those who reported drinking similar quantities of alcohol – and at similar frequencies – had the happiest marriages. Another significant study, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 2001, analysed 642 married couples.
It revealed that both husbands and wives in couples where only one partner drank heavily reported significantly lower marital quality than other spouses. A later follow-up study confirmed that discrepancies in heavy drinking between husbands and wives led to decreased marital satisfaction over time.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the research indicates that the combination of a heavy-drinking wife with a light-drinking husband faces the highest statistical risk of divorce. The perception of a partner's drinking also plays a role – simply believing your partner is a heavy drinker, regardless of their actual alcohol use, is linked to lower relationship happiness.
Together is Better
A particularly interesting finding came from a 2005 study by a separate University of Buffalo team. It discovered that husbands and wives who drank the same amount together were happier than those who drank the same amount but separately.
'The findings suggest that alcohol use may be a part of the couple's socialising and may increase interaction, thereby increasing marital satisfaction,' the paper concluded. Graphs tracking marital satisfaction over time showed that couples were more satisfied in their relationships if they drank together rather than apart, even when consuming the same amount of alcohol.
The research team found that mismatched drinking habits can substantially increase divorce risk, with discordant drinking being a strong predictor of separation. Couples with one heavy drinker are more likely to divorce than couples who both drink heavily or both abstain completely.
To conclude, the researchers, whose paper was published in the journal Substance Use and Rehabilitation, stated: 'With respect to marital satisfaction and divorce, the key predictor seems to be whether the members of the couple can establish patterns of consumption that foster closer relationships.'
They added that alcohol consumption which isn't excessive and occurs primarily when the couple is together can serve a positive function, though they cautioned this doesn't mean concordant patterns of heavier drinking are healthy for the entire family.
