Money biggest cause of marital distress

FINANCIAL pressures mounting on couples are causing sleep deprivation, anxiety and alcohol abuse, and are increasingly a factor in troubled relationships.

According to the Catholic counselling service Accord, two-thirds of almost 4,000 couples who sought help in the first six months of this year had financial concerns.

A further 39% of clients said finance was a “serious issue” for them. In some areas, this rose to more than 40%, while in Galway, 54% of clients said finance was a “serious issue”.