Same-Sex Marriage Prompts Health Boost - Better Healthcare, Longer Life Spans, Lower Depression Rates

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to legalize same-sex marriage may affect the health sector.

According to CNN, the legalization of same-sex marriage will usher in an era of improved healthcare benefits and mental health for people in the LGBTQ community.

In terms of healthcare, companies will most probably increase health coverage for LGBTQ people, reports Kaiser Health News.

The ruling will help companies maintain a more uniformed healthcare plan for anyone who is married, gay or straight, says Gretchen Young, senior vice president of health policy at the ERISA Industry Committee.

"We're relieved because this basically means you won't have to do a state-by-state analysis. We want uniform treatment," Young said.

It is common in America for employers to provide health insurance to employees and their dependents.

The legalization of same-sex marriage means that married same-sex couples can enjoy the same health benefits at work as married opposite-sex couples.

There is still no information about whether the health benefits will extend to children of married same-sex couples.

Besides healthcare, the ruling is projected to improve the general mental health of people in the LGBTQ community, which includes the reduction of anxiety and depression rates of LGBTQ people.

"[Friday's] ruling strikes a blow to inequality and discrimination throughout the nation, and that's good for Americans' mental health," says Renee Binder, president of the American Psychiatric Association, said on Think Progress.

"The APA has a long history of supporting the rights of same-sex couples, and we have long noted that there is no scientific or medical reason to deny these couples the right to marry."

Other prominent health organizations, like the American Medical Association and the National Associations of Social Workers, have always favored same-sex marriage, arguing that it will improve the physical and mental well-being of LGBTQ people.

Dr. William C. Buffie, a physician at St. Francis Hospital in Indiana, explains in his paper that most LGBTQ people experience minority stress, which is triggered by the need for validation and acceptance from society.

Being able to marry like any other person in love will decrease minority stress, states Dr. Buffie in the paper.

It would seem that the legalization of same-sex marriage is a sign of acceptance by the society, recognizing the rights of same-sex couples, he also stated.

Wendy Walsh, a psychologist, explains: "When you get the legal and political stamp of approval on your identity, this endorses your very sense of self."

The life spans of LGBTQ people are also expected to rise as a higher mortality rate is one of the benefits seen in opposite sex couples.