Changes in marital status may heighten vulnerability for alcohol-related problems

People who have experienced mixed marital transitions or who have never been married may be more likely to have alcohol-related problems than people with stable marital status. According to a study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, people in early midlife who have experienced mixed marital transitions and individuals who remain never married into late life are particularly vulnerable to alcohol use problems. The study highlights the connections between romantic relationships and alcohol use and the need for further evaluation of interventions tailored to age, sex and life stage to reduce the risk of problematic alcohol use for people going through marital transitions.

For people in early midlife, ages 30 to 40, and those in later life, over age 50, long-term marital stability was associated with fewer alcohol problems. Compared with stably married individuals, persistently never-married individuals reported the highest number of alcohol-related symptoms and drank the most, followed by people who experienced mixed marital transitions and those who transitioned into and out of marriage.

Crucially, the authors found that age matters: Mixed marital transitions were associated with more alcohol-related symptoms during early midlife, whereas remaining never married was associated with greater vulnerability in the later-life group. However, these findings are not causal, as alcohol use problems can also strain romantic relationships.

While men, in general, drank more and reported more symptoms of alcohol problems than women, widowed men, notably in later life, were 144% more likely to report drinking problems than widowed women in this age group. This finding underscores the need for social support networks for aging men, especially those with prolonged histories of problem drinking.

The authors note that the patterns observed in the study are likely reciprocal; that is, marriage may influence drinking, and problematic drinking may shape romantic partnerships and even affect the likelihood of marriage. The study did not examine factors such as pre-divorce relationship quality, partner drinking status and domestic conflict. Additional study of coping mechanisms and access to social support may help tailor interventions and accessible mental health services during vulnerable stages of marital transition.

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