KEY POINTS:
Mother-of-five Helena Joyce says financial security is an important factor in maintaining a healthy marriage.
Commenting on the report that a healthy economy is easing relationship strains, she said: "If things are good economically, then it definitely helps a marriage," the 35-year-old, full-time mother said yesterday.
The findings of the study surprised her. "I know lots of people who are getting divorced ... but maybe people are more educated now and there's more help available to couples such as counsellors if their marriage is in trouble."
She said the biggest strain on young couples was when the children were small and finances were tight.
"If you can make it through that time, you can make it through anything."
She said couples nowadays tended to know each other for a longer period of time before getting married and having kids, and married later in life, which may result in fewer divorces.
"They have relationships before having kids, which may help them stay together ... people are also having smaller families, which could help."
Her husband of 10 years, Stephen Joyce, said the findings didn't surprise him.
"Marriage is less compulsory these days, so maybe only people who are more committed are doing it. These days people are in relationships longer and plan when they have kids more carefully ... so this means people stay together."
Both agreed that having separate interests and sets of friends was important in a relationship. As for the financial benefits of staying together, the couple, who rent their house, said in their situation they would be better off if they split up because they would receive more government assistance.
Registered psychologist and director of Mindworks in Auckland Sara Chatwin said financial and economic strain often put pressure on couples.
"We take it out on our nearest and dearest. If financial and economic situations are good, you are not going to have that as a negative spin on a relationship."
She said the younger generation may be realising the benefits of marriage.
"We are now experiencing the marriages of people who grew up in divorced households, so maybe they don't want to go through the same thing."
