Cover Story  Why is it that married men are physically and
mentally healthier than unmarried men, but for women in unhappy
marriages, the reverse is true?  The answer may lie in
differences in the way men and women process their spouses' and
their own emotions, said University of California, Berkeley,
psychologist Robert W. Levenson, PhD, at APA's 2001 Annual
Convention.  Stressful, emotion-provoking situations, such as
marital disagreements, can send people's hearts racing, among
other physiological changes. But it's what men and women do once
they're aroused that can affect their health, said Levenson.
Researchers have found that those who have strategies to lower
physiological arousal during stressful situations have better
physical and mental health as well as higher marital
satisfaction and stability.  Men are more likely to use such
strategies, explained Levenson, because, "for husbands, the more
physiologically aroused they are, the more negative they feel
emotionally." However, "for wives, there's no