Marital stress often peaks after three years

According to a recent British study, couples reach peak stress levels in their relationship after three years.

The study was commissioned by Warner Brothers in an effort to promote the comedy “Hall Pass” that was recently released in UK movie theaters. It surveyed approximately 2,000 adults in monogamous relationships. Despite the survey’s purpose to drum up publicity for a film, it has some pertinent findings for married people who are contemplating divorce.

Many of the adults who participated in the study felt that their relationships became more stressful once they had been with their partner for three years. The stress associated with these three-year relationships has allegedly led to an increase in “solo holidays” among survey respondents. These holidays are considered to be time off that one partner gives to another, allowing them to take a vacation without their partner and potentially keep the romance alive in their relationship.

Judi James, who supervised the survey, stated that longer work hours and financial troubles were taking their tolls on those involved in long-term relationships. James believes that these stresses are the reason behind the solo holiday trend.

The study suggests that romance is replaced by everyday activities as our relationships progress. Over 65 percent of those surveyed stated that small irritations during the beginning of a relationship often become serious annoyances after three years in a relationship. Examples cited by the study range from minor annoyances to some of the most common causes of divorce. Examples ranged from leaving toenail clippings on the bathroom floor and weight gain to excessive drinking and irresponsible money management.

Source: Reuters, “The 7-year itch is now the 3-year glitch,” 3/9/2011