Anxiety and depression fell among those who were finally allowed down the aisle
Most people getting married think it’ll make them happy. At least I hope they do – it’s not worth it for the ring or the £5-a-week embarrassment of the marriage allowance.
Luckily, even if not everyone getting hitched reaches cloud nine, we have proof that changing who is allowed to get married does boost wellbeing. That’s the conclusion of research on the 2001 Dutch decision to legalise same-sex marriage. By linking data about people’s sexuality with a health survey, researchers are able to show that before 2001 there was a big mental health gap by sexuality: people in same-sex relationships had markedly higher levels of depression and anxiety than people in non-same-sex relationships.