In the News
April 5, 2024
Mar. 30, 2024
The University Record: Study: Couples with similar drinking habits may live longer
Newsweek: Partners may live longer when they drink together
The couple that drinks together might live longer together, too, says a University of Michigan researcher. In a recent study published in The Gerontologist, Kira Birditt, research professor at the Institute for Social Research’s Survey Research Center, found that couples who are concordant in their drinking behavior tend to live longer.
Mar. 8, 2023
ISR: Black and White Americans May Receive Different Emotional Benefits From Friendships
Black Americans and White Americans may receive different benefits from their networks of friends, family ties, and other relationships according to a new paper.
Research from Crystal Ng, PhD, shows that while White American adults received a positive boost to their mood through interacting with their friends throughout {…}
Feb. 10, 2020
Stria: The Link Between Health and Well-Being in Couples
In middle age and beyond, spouses and partners in committed relationships share more than their lives. Their health and habits—and even the social networks that couples establish—can contribute to their psychological well-being as individuals. That can continue even after the death of one of the partners {…}
Dec. 11, 2019
New York Times: Your Mom Is Destined to Annoy You. How to manage your inevitable holiday regression.
I have a 48-hour serenity limit when I’m with my parents. After two days, it’s like an alarm sounds inside me and sends me right back to 1999.[…]
Dec. 4, 2019
Psych Central: How Older Married Couples Face Chronic Health Conditions
As married couples age and develop chronic health conditions, the daily demands of coping with their own health issues as well as those of their spouse may take a mental toll, according to a new study at the University of Michigan (U-M) […]
Dec.3, 2019
IHPI News: In sickness and in health: Study looks at how married couples face chronic conditions
When they said their wedding vows, many of them promised to stand by one another in sickness and in health. But a new study suggests that as married couples age and develop chronic conditions, the daily demands of coping with their own health demands and those of their spouse may take a mental toll […]
Nov. 20, 2019
For many of us, the holidays are the ultimate stress test: travel snags, the pressure to make things perfect, the sometimes overwhelming holiday “cheer” … not to mention the family drama […]
June 11, 2019
Recipients: Kira Birditt, PhD, FGSA, of the University Michigan; Nicky J. Newton, PhD, of the University of Michigan; James A. Cranford, PhD, of the University of Michigan; Lindsay H. Ryan, PhD, of the University of Michigan, for the article, “Stress and Negative Relationship Quality Among Older Couples: Implications for Blood Pressure.” This award recognizes insightful and innovative publications on aging and life course development in the behavioral and social sciences in two categories: (1) Book Category and (2) Article Category.
Oct 9, 2018
Study: Husbands disapproval of his wife’s friends predicts divorce among White couples
New longitudinal research has found that a husband’s disapproval of his wife’s friends increases the chances of divorce — but only for White couples. The study was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships […]
Aug 20, 2018
A depressed spouse may increase one’s own cognitive decline, study says
Researchers at Yale School of Public Health and their scientific partners have found that having a depressed spouse can increase one’s own depressive symptoms as well as cognitive decline over time in late life […]
Aug 28, 2018
Couples who drink together tend to be happier together, study finds
Published in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers wanted to see if there was a correlation between drinking and marital happiness, specifically among older couples. The study found that: “Concordant drinking couples reported decreased negative marital quality over time, and these links were significantly greater among wives.” […]
Jan 10, 2018
Couples who drink together stay together and 8 other facts about successful relationships
In her research, Dr. Kira Birditt from University of Michigan analysed 4,864 couples, and the studies showed that in more than half of couples, both partners […]
Nov 12, 2017
Couples that drink together, stay together
Older married couples who drink together (or not) tend to be happier together, compared with couples where only one partner drinks. This is according to a U.S. study that analysed just over 4,800 married men and women aged 50 and above — who’ve been married for more than 30 years […]
Nov 9, 2017
Nursing professor studying couples receiving opioid addiction treatment
A University of Rhode Island College of Nursing professor is studying couples receiving methadone maintenance treatment for opioid use disorder and how being in recovery together influences treatment beliefs and outcomes.
Nov 3, 2017
Women are twice as likely as men to file for divorce
Women are twice as likely as men to file for divorce, according to a US study which found that increased marital tension among wives predicted a split in marriage […]
Nov 2, 2017
Why Do People Get Divorced? Differing Tension Levels May Be The Reasons, New Study Says
Sure, you’ve heard about the high divorce rate, but what’s the real reason people file for divorce? Women are twice as likely to file for divorce than men, according to a 2000 paper published in American Law and Economics Review. And that is a huge difference — but a new study may give us some insight into why that happens […]
Nov 2, 2017
Divorce risk rises when wives feel more tension
Increased tension among wives was particularly problematic for marital longevity when their husbands reported low levels of tension over time, the research finds […]
Sep 8, 2017
3 Simple Secrets to a Long and Happy Marriage
Researchers from the University of Michigan studied the responses of 2,767 … Kira Birditt PhD, the leader of the study, told the news agency Reuters that the […]