Divorce: The itch comes calling earlier

London, Oct 29 (UNI) Couples get tired of their partners within five years of marriage far sooner than they did in the 50s, when the threshold point was the 'seven-year itch'.

However, those who manage to make it to ten years were likely to remain married for good.

A recent study of divorce trends in the US, UK, Scandinavian countries and Russia revealed that more women were pursuing careers which placed extra stress on a relationship and divorce had become increasingly acceptable.

Researchers found that the 'honeymoon' period for newly-weds lasted less than five years and that disillusionment and disaffection often set in by the end of that period.

An Academic specialising in marriage and cohabitation studies, Aiva Jasilioniene, said crisis point for the modern marriage was arriving sooner.

''One of the explanations for these changes in divorce risk is that during the first decade of marriage both partners go through crucial life - course transitions and challenging experiences - completion of education, building a career, bearing children and so on,'' she was quoted by Daily Mail as saying.

Researchers found that after five years in marriage, couples were increasingly deterred from parting by the cost of divorce and of running separate lives.

The findings are likely to shed new light on the state of marriage in Britain, which is at the centre of a growing political argument.

The Tories are proposing tax breaks for married couples, who tend to stay together longer than co-habiting couples and whose children tend to be healthier, do better in school, and get better jobs than children from broken or single-parent families.

UNI