Strong family ties can diminish people’s likelihood of having depressive feelings by providing material and non-material resources. Having both parents alive, having not experienced the divorce of one’s parents, and having siblings were all found to reduce the risk of having a depressive mood. Being married was found to have a particularly protective effect (after controlling for education, employment status, and financial situation). Moreover, this effect was found to be stronger in Eastern than in Western European countries suggesting that a more supportive welfare state can buffer the impact of not being married on one’s depressive mood.
Impact of marital status on the likelihood of having a depressive mood among adults age 18-79 in Eastern and Western European countries
