Post-relationship Grief Affects Genders Differently

A study published in the journal Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences says that men and women handle relationships differently and, when relationships end, they tend to react differently too, according to the intensity of the emotional and physical grief.

Craig Morris, research associate at Binghamton University, also leader of the study, said that women have become highly selective in choosing a male partner, as the loss of a relationship seems to affect women more. They tend to get hurt more easily.

He said that the man would feel the loss for a longer period of time and more deeply, because he would have to strive to attain the goal of replacing what he lost.

The study showed that the vast majority of people (more than 85 percent) would experience a major break-up in their lives, with an approximate of three, before they are 30. Afterwards, they might experience disorders such as major depression that would affect their daily endeavors or, to a lesser extent, brief sadness. There are multiple psychological disorders or mental sufferings associated with break-ups.

On a scale of 1 to 10, both men and women rated their emotional pain as a result of a break-up at around 6. Less common was the physical pain associated with a break-up, widely known as “broken heart syndrome.”

In comparison to men, women might mourn the loss of their partner more, as they are inclined to become attached to children that might have resulted from that particular relationship. Men, on the other hand, are capable of seeking other female partners and become less attached.

5,700 people from 96 countries were subjected to two separate online surveys. The approximate age of the respondents was 27, while the goal of the survey was to understand how post-relationship grief affects both men and women in a different manner.

The first survey was based on a multiple-choice pattern, whereas the second allowed the participants to describe in their own words how they felt once they had lost a partner.

Morris reported that women overcome a break-up at more ease than men, as women speak about it in the past, whereas men seem constantly absorbed in anger and disappointment.

The lead author of the research finally pointed out that the study would lead to more precise techniques to alleviate grief effects in individuals risking to lose their jobs or engage in self-destructive behavior.

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