“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” – Mark 10:9
The American Sociological Association just published a new study that investigated how marriage impacts deaths of despair. The new findings in the research once again reinforce that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence for the strong and robust benefits of marriage.
This new data makes it clear that those who have a marital status are more protected from deaths stemming from alcohol, drug overdose, and suicide. The study revealed that there is a striking difference between single and married Americans who have succumbed to deaths of despair.
The findings from the research revealed that between the years 2000 and 2021, mortality rates for drug overdose, alcohol abuse, and suicide all rose among those 25 and older. However, the four scholars who conducted the study wrote, “The nonmarried exhibit mortality rates 2 to 3 times higher in alcohol and suicide deaths and 4 to 5 times higher in drug-related deaths compared to the married population.”
Study after study continues to show the protective and beneficial effects of marriage. Statistics are persistently revealing that not only does marriage protect against deaths of despair, but also those who are married are markedly better off financially, physically, and emotionally than their peers who are not.
God is the One who created marriage, and He created that lifelong relationship for our good which produces countless good qualities in our lives. As marriage rates continue to decline in our nation, it is paramount for our society to see the unmatched benefits that marriage brings. For America to be strong, America needs to be a society enriched by the blessings that come from vibrant marriages.
LET US PRAY…
Father, thank You for giving us the gift of marriage, and may we truly cherish marriage for the blessing it is. Lord, please strengthen marriages all across our state and our nation. Father, help our judges, legislators, governing authorities, and all citizens to uphold Your view of marriage and not devalue it. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
