Marriage itself brings many physical and mental health benefits, but one study says that couples who consider each other "close friends" other than "husband and wife" are more likely to have a longer and happier marriage.
According to the study, when the person next to you is also your close friend, you feel closer to your partner, you have more empathy and respect for each other.
The researchers asked couples who have been married for over 15 years what was the number one reason for the success and longevity of their relationship and the most common response among participants was that "the partner was also their best friend."
The second most common response was that they liked their spouse as a person - another key aspect of friendship-based love.
Creating a deep and lasting friendship with your partner not only brings greater happiness, but also promotes emotional, physical and psychological health and longevity.
Women benefit more from marrying a "close friend": The results of another study showed that the benefits and satisfaction of being married to a best friend were much higher for women than for men. But also, the same study showed that, on average, fewer women compared to men considered their husbands as their "best friend".
Source: NBER Working Paper, Bright Side
