Men who do housework less likely to suffer from psychological problems

Male shirkers were more prone to anxiety and heart palpitations and were less likely to be able to concentrate than men who split the housework down the middle with their partners, the study found.

And the women who take up the slack for their lazy partners are not only more tired because of the extra chores, they also face an increased risk of health problems, the Daily Mail reported.

The study, at Umea University in Sweden, looked into aspects of domestic responsibility and how it affects couples.

Researchers found that levels of psychological distress were higher among men who did less than half of the housework and also occupied a lower socioeconomic position than their partner.

This may be because this situation challenges commonly held beliefs about gender roles, the authors suggest.

"Overall in Sweden, women still do most of the domestic work," Lisa Harryson, who led the study, said.

"However, we found that it's much better for men if they take half the work in the domestic responsibilities," she said.

She suggested that couples should discuss their roles.

"People should try doing things they are not used to doing. Sometimes it's better for couple to switch roles when it comes to some responsibilities," she added.