Arguing may be good for your health

Study researcher Kira Birditt, of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan and colleagues found that arguing now and then for the right reasons may be good for your health.

Arguing now and then for the right reasons may be good for your health, a new study suggests.

Study researcher Kira Birditt, of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, and colleagues found that when people experience tension with someone else, whether their boss, spouse, or child, sidestepping confrontation could be bad for their health.

Avoiding conflict was associated with more symptoms of physical problems the next day than was actually engaging in an argument, they found.

The results of the study also showed that bypassing bickering was also associated with abnormal rises and falls of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day.

"Relationships have important influences on how we feel on a daily basis, especially the problems in our relationships," Live Science quoted Birditt as saying.

"How we deal with problems affects our daily well-being," she added.

In a previous study, Birditt and her colleagues found that the most common way for people to deal with their interpersonal problems is to simply avoid them. The researchers wanted to know the health impacts of this avoidance behavior.

The study was presented here on Aug. 12 at the 118th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.