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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Rebecca Whittaker

Researchers find mental health may influence who you marry

  • A study of almost 15 million people across Europe and Asia found that individuals diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder are more likely to partner with someone who has the same condition.
  • The pattern was observed across countries, cultures, and generations, and has not been altered by changes in psychiatric care over the past 50 years.
  • The research, published in Nature Human Behaviour, analysed data from Taiwan, Denmark, and Sweden, covering nine psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, anorexia, and ADHD.
  • The likelihood of partners sharing a diagnosis slightly increased with each decade from the 1930s to the 1990s, particularly for those with substance abuse disorders.
  • The observational study also indicated that children with two parents sharing the same disorder are twice as likely to develop the condition.

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