New research has suggested that married mothers report significantly higher levels of happiness than those who are single or unmarried.
The study, conducted by The Marriage Foundation, looks at data from the Millennium Cohort Study, based on a sample of 3,700 mothers who had their first child between 2000 and 2002.
Over half (52 per cent) of mothers said they were “highly satisfied” with life when their child turned 14. This figure rose to 59 per cent among mothers who were married before the birth of their first child and to 61 per cent among mothers who married after the birth of their first child.
Around half (49 per cent) of mothers who were never married, but still with their partner, said they were highly satisfied.
In cases where the relationship ended, 45 per cent of those who married before birth reported being highly satisfied, rising to 57 per cent for those who married afterwards.
45 per cent of those who began motherhood as a single mum reported high satisfaction, with the lowest figure being those who never married and whose relationship had ended (42 per cent).
Dr Harry Benson, Research Director of The Marriage Foundation, said he had been encouraged to examine not just the likelihood of couples staying together, but of whether they were actually happy if they did so.
“This study addresses that question by looking at mothers’ life satisfaction fourteen years after the birth of their first child," he said.
"It asks not only whether mothers who married are more likely to remain with the father of their child, but also whether marriage is associated with greater life satisfaction among mothers whose relationships do remain intact.
“The findings suggest that it is. Mothers who married and stayed together were substantially more likely to report high life satisfaction than mothers who stayed together but never married. Marriage was also associated with a greater likelihood of the parents remaining together in the first place.”
The research also suggested that happiness declines among mothers, regardless of relationship status, between the time their first child reaches nine months and their teenage years. While mothers married before or after the birth of their first child again reported higher satisfaction levels than other mothers, all experienced some degree of decline.
Dr Benson commented, “Marriage Foundation’s findings confirm that marriage not only improves the stability of those couples with children, but interestingly also boosts happiness, with between 10-12 per cent more of married mothers reporting being highly satisfied with life than non-married mothers.
"In short, married mums are more likely to be happier after the birth of their first child, and this continues all the way until their child turns 14.”
He said he intends to conduct similar research into the happiness of fathers.
