Do you have a healthy marriage? How would you know if you do? How is that measured? Researchers and scholars have been studying marriage for years across many disciplines. Marriage scholars emphasize the following 10 elements of a healthy marriage:

• Commitment: Spouses have a long-term perspective. They intend to persevere when troubles come up, and they are willing to sacrifice some of their personal needs for each other.
• Satisfaction: Overall, individuals are happy and satisfied with their relationship. This does not mean that the marriage has no problems and challenges.
• Communication: Couples interact with each other to exchange information and solve problems in respectful, positive ways.
• Effective Conflict Resolution: Almost all couples have serious disagreements. How they handle these disagreements can make the difference between a healthy and unhealthy relationship.
• Lack of Violence and Abuse: Even though conflict is a normal part of marriage, aggression and violence indicate an unhealthy relationship.
• Sexual Fidelity or Faithfulness: Spouses do not have intimate physical relationships outside the bonds of marriage.
• Friendship and Spending Time Together: In a healthy marriage, couples enjoy being together. They are friends. They respect each other and enjoy each other's company.
• Intimacy and Emotional Support: Couples in a healthy marriage are physically and emotionally intimate with each other. They trust, care for, and love each other.
• Commitment to Children: In a healthy marriage with children, the couple is committed to the development and well-being of all their children.
• Duration/Permanence: Believing that marriage is permanent and that the relationship will last helps to sustain a healthy marriage.

Not convinced that marriage is all that important? Read more about the benefits of marriage at these links:

• “Healthy marriage: Why love is good for you,” from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-marriage/MH00108
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Benefits of Healthy Marriages: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/healthymarriage/benefits/index.html
• National Fatherhood Initiative brochure, The Seven Benefits of Marriage for Men: www.fathersource.org.

• Visit the African American Marriage Wall
  
  
• What is a Healthy Marriage?
  
  
• Preparing for Marriage
  
  
• Strengthening Your Marriage
  
  
• Radio PSAs
  
  
• Print PSAs
  
  
• Outdoor PSAs