Family Life

08.29.11 | Sarah Harnisch

  How young is too young to get married? New research indicates there are a number of health risks are associated with child marriages.  The findings, published in the journal "Pediatrics," show girls under the age of 18 who get married are more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders.  There is also a greater risk of nicotine dependence as well as alcohol and drug use.  It's noted that women who marry as children also experience higher divorce rates and don't attain the same levels of education as women who marry as adults.  West Africa and Asia have a greater percent of child brides.  Marriage among children is less common in the U.S.  In the study, approximately 19-thousand women were interviewed, with nearly nine-percent married as children.