Researchers investigate whether vacations can eliminate stress and even depression in women.  This study attempts to find a correlation between vacations taken per year and several stress-related factors. 

 

Article Courtesy of: The Society for Women’s Health Research

 

Planning a vacation? You should be. New evidence from researchers at the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin reveals that women who take frequent vacations are less likely to become stressed out or depressed. In addition, women who take time to get away report a higher rate of marital satisfaction.

 

The study, published in the November 11 issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal, was conducted from 1996 through 2001 and involved a random sample of 1,500 women from central Wisconsin. The researchers set out to look at stress, quality of marital life, and disruptive life at home due to work in women who vacationed frequently versus those who did not.

The study showed that depression and tension was highest among women who took vacations only once in two years or once in six years. Among the women involved in the study, the majority took one vacation a year, followed by those who took vacation two times a year and then those who took vacation once every two to five years.

“Women who take vacations more often have more relaxed time with their spouses, not thinking about daily home stresses, and thus the opportunity to renew their relationships,” said Catherine A. McCarty, Ph.D., M.P.H., a senior epidemiologist and director of the Center for Human Genetics at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation.

Relaxation time is important for women, especially during the holidays. Between visits from extended family members and hosting dinners or get-togethers, women often assume a greater burden of work. Stress levels can definitely increase.

“I dread the holidays because there’s never enough time to get things done,” said Katherine Marker, a stay-at home mom, living in Connecticut with two kids. “I can feel my blood pressure rise two weeks before the holidays arrive and two weeks after my in-laws leave.”

Studies have shown that rates of depression increase sharply during the holiday season and, overall, women are more likely to be depressed than men. This fact is not lost on the multitude of women out there who have suffered from the holiday blues. A study conducted by Pacific Health Laboratories in California reveals that a whopping 44 percent of American women report feeling sad through the holidays.

“I can totally understand why women would get depressed without a vacation,” Marker said. “Being stuck in the same routine day in and day out can be tedious and grueling.”

That’s precisely why women need to schedule time for vacations.

“I think women have less on their minds and do not have the need to constantly multi-task when they take vacations,” McCarty explained. The study did not specify a time-span for the vacation, so even a few days may do the trick, especially after the holidays.

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Sources

Chikani V, McCarty C, et al. Vacations improve mental health among rural women: The Wisconsin Rural Women’s Health Study. Wisc Med J. 2005; 104:6.

Hankin BL, Abramson LY. Development of gender differences in depression: description and possible explanations. Ann Med. 1999;31(6):372-379.