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Journalism of Courage
To the long list of parameters you need to consider when choosing a mate, there is now evidence that your spouse’s personality may be hazardous to your health.
Researchers in the US have carried out a study and found that the spouse’s personality can have a major influence on one’s ability to recover from —and even survive — a major challenge to health, the ScienceDaily reported.
“We’ve known for some time that a patient’s personality and mood before surgery influence their own mental and physical recovery following surgery. We also know that a partner’s personality and mood can affect us in short term,” the report said.
“What this work shows is that a partner’s personality traits are also important determinants of our own long-term emotional and physical recovery from a major health challenge,” according to Prof John M Ruiz of the Washington State University.
In fact, the researchers came to the conclusion after analysing a study involving over 100 coronary artery bypass patients and their spouses — their aspects of personality, symptoms of depression, and the marital satisfaction prior to, and 18 months following, surgery were assessed.
The team found that within couples, the personality of one person predicted the depression level of their partner 18 months later — the results have been published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
“The spouse’s personality — quite independent of the patient’s own personality — exhibited a major influence on how well the patient was feeling and progressing towards recovery,” according to Ruiz.
