We hear a lot about America’s mental health crisis. Many people might see evidence of this even in their own family or circle of friends. In fact, it has become such a problem that one might think that most people have mental health issues.

It is a real problem, but here is something to consider. A researcher has recently noted that America has the existence of a “happiness landslide,” where the average share of the U.S. population identifying as “very happy” outnumbers the percentage of those who characterize themselves as “not too happy” by a roughly 70-30 percent margin.

The report titled “The Socio-Political Demography of Happiness,” authored by Sam Peltzman of the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business examines the trends of the General Social Survey conducted regularly over the past half-century.

Peltzman’s report, released July 21st, also reveals that marriage plays a positive role in mental health. Peltzman finds that “marital status is and has been a very important marker for happiness.” Those who are married consistently score significantly higher levels of happiness than those who never married, are divorced, or widowed.

My point here is not that marriage fixes mental health issues, but it is true that marriage is an institution that public policies and our culture should support for the general good of society. Peltzman does note that a decline in happiness has coincided with a decline in marriage rates.

Peltzman also placed respondents into the categories of conservative, moderate, and liberal. He found, “Conservatives are around 9 points happier than liberals and 7 points happier than moderates.”