Negative events in partner's life affect women more

If the parters were ill or experienced the death of a friend, women were noticeably affected, yet men were not significantly affected by the negative events in their partner’s life. A large-scale research by Griffith University and the University of Queensland has found women are more empathetic toward their partners than men.

Female partner’s levels of empathy could be measured as comparable (24%) to the event happening directly to themselves, whereas men’s emotional lives were not linked to the experiences of their partner.

This does not mean that men are unemotional or uncaring, since they are probably more affected by their own roles and image as partners, than by the actual feelings of their partner.

 Negative and positive shocks affect other people in the family and probably also in the neighbourhood.

The researchers analysed data of over 20,000 people across Australia.

The study also found parents were more affected by negative shocks happening to their partner than non-parents, owing to the entwined interests of the partner and the family. If a partner is experiencing mental distress, this might not merely have a direct empathic effect on others, it may also reduce how much time they spend on household chores, reduce contact with children or other family members and thus leave more to do for others.

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