Here, as anywhere, the wisdom of the great C. S. Lewis should be taken to heart: “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. .. It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind…which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously – no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.”  C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory. [italics added] Mental health A systematic review of mental disorder, suicide, and deliberate self harm in lesbian, gay and bisexual people BMC Psychiatry 8:70, 2008 §  “A twofold excess in suicide attempts in lesbian, gay and bisexual people” § ” Lifetime prevalence of suicide attempt was especially high in gay and bisexual men (RR 4.28, CI 2.32, 7.88)” §  “The risk for depression and anxiety disorders (over a period of 12 months or a lifetime) on meta-analyses were at least 1.5 times higher in lesbian, gay and bisexual people” §  “Alcohol and other substance dependence over 12 months was also 1.5 times higher §  “Lesbian and bisexual women were particularly at risk of substance dependence (alcohol 12 months: RR 4.00, CI 2.85, 5.61; drug dependence: RR 3.50, CI 1.87, 6.53; any substance use disorder RR 3.42, CI 1.97–5.92)” – Scapegoating the Church for LGBT Suicide and Stigma This June 27, 2019 article by Family Practice…

A glimpse of current literature regarding the benefits of monogamy: Effects on adults What Do We Know About the Link Between Marriage and Health? Journal of Family Issues 31(8):1019-1040, 2010: §  “Marriage reduces depression” §  “Unmarried adults are more likely to drink, use marijuana, and drive recklessly” §  “Married men and women experience lower mortality at every age relative to those who remain unmarried or lose their spouse through widowhood or divorce” §  “A number of rigorous studies reveal that marriage can also lead to better general physical health and better outcomes for some specific health conditions, including arthritis, hypertension, and heart disease” The impact of polygamy on women’s mental health: a systematic review | Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences 22(1):47-62, 2013 “Individual studies report a higher prevalence of somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, psychoticism and psychiatric disorder in polygynous wives as well as reduced life and marital satisfaction, problematic family functioning and low self-esteem.”    Effects on children Parental Divorce or Death During Childhood and Adolescence. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 204(9):678-695, 2016: “Participants reporting a history of parental divorce present a significantly higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders, particularly alcohol and drug use disorders compared with control subjects. While participants experiencing the death of a parent reported a poorer overall health, the prevalence of psychiatric disorder after 17 years of age was not significantly higher than that of the control subjects.” The consequences of fatherlessness: “Children from fatherless homes are more likely to be poor, become involved in drug…