A new study out of the University of Alberta and Brigham Young University has been released, and it shows about half of people who considered divorcing their spouse, had a change of heart.
In the study, 3,000 Americans were surveyed. Results showed about one in four had considered divorce recently.
However, one year later, half of those people had a change of heart in a follow-up survey.
“It isn’t uncommon to think about divorce, and even if you think about it, it doesn’t mean you will end up there,” study co-author Adam Galovan said.
Galovan said considering divorce can help a marriage, if it becomes a catalyst to stronger communication.
“I think there’s a lot of hope that couples can improve if they use that as a starting point,” Galovan said.
Statistics show nearly half of all married couples are headed for divorce. A local counsellor said the results in the study are encouraging.
“I think it is an important study because it adds some credence to the idea of working on a relationship and not pushing an escape button,” counsellor Beth Murray said.
Murray recognized a number of factors can impact whether a marriage ends, such as abuse and infidelity.
The researchers told CTV News they want to continue studying the subject, saying they have gathered data to find out what the married couples did to improve their relationships. Findings from that survey are expected in the future.
With files from Angela Jung
