On its website, CNN (11/7, LaMotte) reports on a study published in the Journal of Family Psychology that found “people who feel they aren’t supported by their extended family are more likely to suffer chronic illness than those who aren’t happy with their spouse or partner.” The researchers followed around 3,000 people from 1995 to 2014 and asked them three times “to rate the quality of their family and partner interactions, which was then compared to their total number of chronic conditions, ranging from stroke to headaches.” The researchers “found strained extended family relations to be highly associated with a greater number of chronic conditions and poor health.”
HealthDay (11/7, Gordon) reports the researchers say they were surprised that relationships with other family members appear to have a bigger impact on health than relationships with spouses. The study’s lead author, Sarah Woods at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said, “That doesn’t mean intimate partnerships don’t matter. Our hypothesis is that relationships with family members are longer than relationships with intimate partners. You come from that family of origin, and you can’t divorce your parents or siblings.”
Related Links:
— “Having a poor relationship with your family could make you sick, “Sandee LaMotte , CNN, November 7, 2019