MEN suffer more hurt than women when a relationship ends, according to a new US study reported by the (London) Daily Telegraph in the UK.

According to the study from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, romantic relationships have a greater impact on the mental health of young men than women.

Women better cope with break-ups because they often have more close friends and family to lean on for support whereas a young man’s romantic partner may be his primary source of intimacy, revealed the study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour.

Men are also more likely to turn to alcohol or drugs while women tend to express their hurt to friends and family, the study said.

The study, which surveyed 1000 unmarried adults aged 18-23, also revealed men found greater emotional benefits from the positive aspects of a romantic relationship.

Professor Robin Simon, who co-wrote the study, said: “Our paper sheds light on the association between non-marital romantic relationships and emotional well-being among men and women on the threshold of adulthood.”