• 15
  • March
    2011

A recent survey of more than 2,000 people in England not only made some rather interesting revelations regarding trends among couples in committed relationships, but also went a long way toward debunking the divorce-related myth of the "seven-year itch."

(For those unfamiliar with the seven-year itch, it is the popular belief that after being in a relationship/marriage for seven years, a person begins to look elsewhere for gratification.)

Interestingly, researchers determined that it is not the seven-year mark that is a watershed moment for couples, but rather the three-year mark.

Approximately 67 percent of all couples surveyed, including couples in relationships of less than three years and couples in relationships of more than three years, stated that petty annoyances begin to become major irritations after roughly 36 months.

The survey also revealed the top 10 causes of relationship strife (i.e., "passion killers"):

  1. Lack of exercise/excessive weight gain
  2. Money issues
  3. Extreme work hours
  4. Problems with hygiene
  5. Problems with extended family
  6. Romance issues
  7. Excessive alcohol consumption
  8. Poor bedtime/sleeping habits
  9. Problems with fashion
  10. Poor bathroom habits

By far the most interesting revelation of the study was the proliferation of so-called "passes" and solo vacations.

Approximately 34 percent of those identified as being in long-term relationships indicated that they grant one another passes to do whatever they wish for at least two nights a month. Furthermore, 58 percent of the same people revealed that they take vacations by themselves.

"Longer working hours combined with money worries are clearly taking their toll on modern relationships and we are seeing an increasing trend for solo holidays and weekends away from marriages and relationships in order to revive the romantic spark," said the survey's coordinator, Judi James.

Stay tuned for developments from our Denver divorce blog ...

If you would like to learn more about divorce or divorce-related issues, you should strongly consider speaking with an experienced legal professional.

This post is provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Related Resources:

The 7-year itch is now the 3-year glitch (Reuters)