Carlos Solis
A team of researchers from the University at Buffalo (USA) says partners’ drinking habits are one of the key factors influencing the stability and longevity of relationships.
This means that if you regularly enjoy a few drinks at dinner while your partner prefers sparkling water, trouble is likely on the horizon. This is especially risky when the wife drinks heavily and the husband drinks little, as reported by Daily Mail.
The researchers analyzed dozens of previous studies on the impact of alcohol on relationships. They found that couples with similar drinking habits—whether they completely abstain or drink together regularly—tend to be happier in their relationships.
One study referenced by the university team was published in 2012 and examined drinking patterns among couples in New Zealand. The analysis revealed that those who consumed alcohol in equal amounts and with the same frequency had the strongest marriages.
Another study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology in 2001 analyzed 642 married couples and found that marriages were less happy when only one partner abused alcohol.
“The results of the study indicated that alcohol consumption can be part of a couple’s socialization; it enhances interaction, thereby increasing marital satisfaction,” the authors wrote. Researchers discovered that couples where one partner drinks more tend to divorce more frequently than those where both partners either drink heavily or abstain from alcohol. The highest risk of divorce was found in couples where the wife drinks significantly more while the husband either drinks little or not at all.
Graphs of marital satisfaction for husbands and wives showed that the best relationships occur when couples drink together.
In their article published in the journal Substance Use and Rehabilitation, researchers concluded that even a partner’s attitude toward drinking can affect marital satisfaction. Simply believing that your partner drinks heavily, regardless of their actual consumption or its consequences, is associated with lower levels of happiness in the relationship.
One key factor in marital happiness is the couple’s ability to “develop drinking patterns that foster closer relationships.” The authors clarified that their findings don’t mean couples should increase their drinking; excessive alcohol use can destroy a marriage.
What Do Other Researchers Say?
A study conducted last year by researchers at the University of Michigan found that partners with similar drinking habits typically stay together longer. The team examined data from over 4,500 couples who are married or cohabiting, surveying participants daily over two decades.
Professor Kira Birditt, who led the study, confirmed the theory of “partnered drinking,” which suggests that couples with similar drinking patterns generally have stronger marriages.
Birditt’s team said similar drinking patterns may reflect compatibility in lifestyle, intimacy, and relationship satisfaction.
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