Married people suffer less stress at work, study finds

The secret to a happy and successful work life is a contented marriage, research suggests.

A study of NHS workers found that married people experienced less stress in the workplace because they were able to go home and talk away the problems of the day with their spouses.

The survey of more than 400 nursing staff from hospitals across East Yorkshire examining work/life balance found those who were married or in stable relationships experienced markedly less job-related strain. They also suffered reduced levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue, compared to their single, widowed and divorced colleagues.

In a surprising finding researchers also found that having children did not add to the nurses' perceived stress in the workplace.

Roxanne Gervais, of the Health and Safety Laboratory, presented the findings at the British Psychological Society's annual conference at the University of York.