Is Staying Single Better For Your Brain? A New Study Says Yes

Would you believe that staying single or even getting divorced might lower your risk of developing dementia? Yes, you read that right. A recent study led by researchers at Florida State University has completely flipped the script, suggesting that unmarried people may be less likely to develop dementia as compared to married ones. However, a 2019 US study had earlier claimed that unmarried people were actually more likely to develop dementia than their married counterparts. So, what changed?

The Study Spanning Up To 18 Years

To get to the bottom of it, the researchers looked at data from over 24,000 Americans who didn’t have dementia at the start. These participants were followed for up to 18 years. They were grouped into four categories as per their marital status: married, divorced, widowed, and never married.

If you have a look at the data, all the unmarried groups seem to have a lower risk of dementia than those who were married. But after making adjustments for other health factors like smoking or depression, only the divorced and never-married groups maintain that lower risk.

The interesting part was that this effect seemed stronger for Alzheimer’s disease (the most common type of dementia), but didn’t hold up for vascular dementia, a rarer form. Also, people who were divorced or never married were also less likely to progress from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to full-blown dementia. Plus, those who became widowed during the study actually had a lower risk of dementia, too.

What Is The Reason Behind This?

One theory suggests that spouses might be more likely to notice memory issues early on and push their partner to get checked out, meaning that they get diagnosed more often. That’s called ascertainment bias. However, the evidence for this theory isn't as convincing because all the participants had regular checkups with doctors, acting kinda like a “proxy partner” who’d flag the symptoms early.

Another possible issue could be that the study sample, taken from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), might not reflect the real world. Nearly 64% of participants were married and the group had low ethnic and income diversity.

So, the findings might not apply to everyone, but they do raise some real questions about how relationships and the brain actually work together.

Is Marriage Bad For The Brain?

No, marriage is "not exactly" bad for the brain, however, this study shows that it’s not always the protective shield we thought it was. As the researchers explain, relationship dynamics aren’t black and white. It’s not just about being married or single, it’s about how you're married, how you cope with divorce, and how connected or isolated you feel in your life.

"These dynamics may provide a more nuanced understanding than a simple binary effect,” they wrote.

It can be said that your mental and emotional vibe matters more than your relationship status.