Beware the itches
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By Tanya Sweeney
Saturday Aug 14 2010
The one-year itch
A survey from research company Ipsos Mori has revealed that one in five newlyweds admits they had some regrets about getting married within the first year of their big day. The poll found that 20pc of 16 to 54-year-olds looking back at the first 12 months of their marriage felt they had "occasional" or "many" regrets. Almost one in five said their first year of marriage was more difficult than they expected.
The three-year itch
In many instances, the fizzle starts to leave a marriage at the three-year mark. Researchers studied two sets of married or cohabitating couples: one group was together for one to three years, the other for four to six years. "There is not necessarily anything magical about year three," said Professor Musick, who headed the research. "We know that typically when marriages end in divorce, half end before seven or so years and half end after."
The seven-year itch
Psychologists have long established that seven years is the time when people tend to re-evaluate their relationship. Supposedly, after being married for seven years or just being with someone for that long, you start looking at other options, or you act on signs you were too busy to notice before. Recent statistics revealed that the average marriage in North America lasts seven years.
The 11-year itch
According to research done by Grant Thornton's solicitors in Belfast, most divorces occur after 11 years of wedlock. More than two-thirds of solicitors surveyed by financial advisers Grant Thornton said that the majority of break-ups happen in the second decade of the marriage. The examination of the main causes of divorce found that one in four marriages ends due to a partner having an affair. But the same number fail because the husband and wife believe they have fallen out of love.
The 27-year itch
Statistics show that most divorces after the age of 50 are initiated by women, not men. What's more, US census figures show that the divorce rate among those over 65 has doubled since 1980; it grew to 8pc in 2004 from 6.7pc in 2000.
- Tanya Sweeney
Irish Independent
