As soon as the newspaper pages are opened, the eyes are stuck on the latest news. Somewhere, the husband is taking extreme decisions due to low income from his wife who is working in a high position. Somewhere or marital discord is reaching the threshold of the court. Although modern society talks about equal rights of men and women, real life tells a different story of emotional tension. Is the tight feeling of the wife’s pocket quietly breaking the man’s confidence? Research by sociologists based on 17 years of statistics published in ‘The Economist’ suggests at least as much.

The study says that although women have advanced in earning money, the psychological equation of the family has not changed a bit. Where the wife handles the bulk of the family’s income, about 70 percent or more, husbands’ risk of serious psychological distress increases by nearly two and a half times. Even in live-in relationships the picture is the same. Depression rates are almost one and a half times higher in men. Is the male social ego and long-standing traditional mentality the root cause of this repressed pain?

‘Double Burden’ and Relationship Bitterness

But the pressure is not only on men. Studies show that despite being the main breadwinner, women are not less dissatisfied with their relationships. Despite being successful at work, most of the responsibilities of the family still fall on the shoulders of women. This couple pressure is causing imbalance in the relationship. According to data from the Chicago and French studies, families where the wife contributes close to 75 percent also have a nearly 30 percent higher risk of divorce than the average couple. Unconsciously, society is still used to seeing the wife’s income as less than the husband’s.

Minds are changing, but there is still a long way to go

However, the survey suggests that there is a shift in mindset at the international level. Most of the people today are learning to accept the wife’s higher earnings as normal. Yet according to psychologists, the roots of social reform are so deep that its application in the reality of personal life is still quite difficult!