Happy woman, happy life! Russian study claims marriage prevents employee burnout, especially among men
The phrase “happy wife, happy life” might have some science behind it.
Researchers at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow, Russia, found that men who were satisfied with their marriages were less exhausted as employees.
The team determined that a successful career becomes their identity for men, adding pressure to their lives, but having support at home reduces burnout.
Burnout causes significant mental fatigue and manifests itself in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a decline in personal fulfillment.
The results also suggest that men who experience greater career success tend to have higher levels of relationship satisfaction.
The study found that as the level of marital satisfaction increases, the risk of burnout decreases, and this correlation is more pronounced in men.
A separate report found that more than half of American workers experience at least moderate levels of burnout.
Meanwhile, according to the CDC, the number of marriages in the United States was at a 20-year low in 2020.
The new study was conducted using an online survey of 120 female and 83 male employees of Russian business organizations between the ages of 20 and 69.
A total of 107 were married, 87 were in a relationship and nine were divorced.
Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction with personal relationships and the presence of burnout symptoms.
The study found that as the level of marital satisfaction increases, the risk of burnout decreases, and this correlation is more pronounced in men.
Study author Ilya Bulgakov, a PhD student at the HSE School of Psychology, said: “For men, career success can often become a fundamental aspect of their identity and self-esteem.
“As a result, they may experience greater pressure in the workplace and experience elevated levels of stress while struggling to perform their duties and meet expectations.”
“In this context, marital satisfaction and the feeling of being supported in one’s private life may become critical factors in preventing burnout in men.”
He added: “People with burnout syndrome often find it difficult to disconnect from their work and therefore remain in a constant state of tension.
“Therefore, personal relationships serve as a means of escaping career pressures, providing them with a source of satisfaction and support. Interestingly, this association was observed only in men.
“This can perhaps be attributed to traditional social roles, where men are often given greater responsibility for successful careers, leading to higher job pressure.”
The team looked at the women and found that depersonalization from co-workers and clients and a decrease in empathy and compassion had a greater impact on the development of burnout.
“Researchers suggest that the depersonalization experienced by women is linked to societal expectations and the social roles that are generally imposed on them in the professional field,” the team shared in a Press release.
The study was published in the journal Organizational Psychology.
