Final answer:
Factors such as marrying too early or too late can lead to poorer mental health and reduced benefits from marriage, with financial stress often playing a significant role.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to more recent studies, the factors shown to result in poorer mental health and fewer benefits from marriage are marrying earlier than desired and marrying later than desired. Financial stress is a significant contributor to marital problems, and not having a strong asset base at the beginning of a marriage is associated with a higher risk of divorce. Cultural expectations and social pressures, particularly for women, can influence individuals to marry at times that may not align with their personal desires, which can impact their mental health and satisfaction with marriage. Marrying outside of one's racial and/or ethnic group has not been shown to have a significant impact on mental health or marriage benefits. The decision to marry at a desired age is important for mental well-being and relationship satisfaction.