U.S. researchers have found that a happy marriage can help reduce the pain of illness. Compared to those patients who are single or in a troubled marriage, patients who have a loving partner are less likely to feel pain. Johns Hopkins psychologist Jennifer Barsky-Reese led a team of 255 patients with rheumatoid arthritis to study whether marital status affected pain. The researchers investigated whether the patients were happily married, whether they often argued with their partners about family finances and other matters, whether they had a strong relationship, and how they related to their partners’ families. As a result, excluding single people, 114 survey respondents reported being happily married and 44 admitted to experiencing marital difficulties. The doctor then examined the physical condition of the respondents to assess the severity of their rheumatoid arthritis, and also asked them to self-assess their pain level. The results showed that respondents with low levels of pain were happily married, although some of them had relatively severe rheumatoid arthritis. Focus on quality Researchers published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Pain (Journal of Pain) reported that happy marriages make pain easy to tolerate. Rees said the results show that the association between marriage and health depends on the quality of the marriage, not just whether it is married, and that a high-quality marriage can promote the mental health of patients. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease with common symptoms of stiff, painful and swollen joints in the wrists, fingers, toes, ankles and knees, and is one of the most common diseases. In the United Kingdom, about 350,000 people are afflicted with this disease. Researchers suggest that people with rheumatoid arthritis whose marriages have hit rock bottom can benefit from participating in marital life counseling to improve their relationships as a couple. It’s good for the mind and body Carrie Cooper, a mental health expert at Lancaster University in England, told the Daily Mail. Cooper told the Daily Mail that the Johns Hopkins University study corroborates previous research. Researchers have previously found that loved ones support can reduce pain in patients. ”The findings show that the more social support you get, the less negative stress you feel, and these negative stresses can exacerbate pain,” Cooper said, “If you have a bad marital relationship, then the pain you feel, whether mental or physical pain, will be exacerbated. ” Marriage, especially a happy marriage, can promote physical and mental health. A World Health Organization study last year reported that marriage can reduce the risk of anxiety and depression. A previous study showed that people who were married survived cancer longer than those who were single. Researchers believe that this may be because married people have more to look forward to in life and are better able to take care of themselves.