The short-term and decade-long effects of divorce on women's midlife health

We hypothesize that divorce immediately increases psychological distress and has long-term negative consequences for the physical health of divorced people. In addition, we hypothesize that divorce indirectly causes long-term increases in distress through stressful midlife events. The hypotheses are tested using data from 416 rural Iowa women who were interviewed repeatedly in the early 1990s when they were mothers of adolescent children; the women were interviewed again in 2001. The data support the hypotheses. In the years immediately after their divorce (1991-1994), divorced women reported significantly higher levels ofpsychological distress than married women but no differences in physical illness. A decade later (in 2001), the divorced women reported significantly higher levels of illness, even after controlling for age, remarriage, education, income, and prior health. Compared to their married counterparts, divorced women reported higher levels of stressful life events between 1994 and 2000, which led to higher levels of depressive symptoms in 2001.     

The Late-Life Divorced

This study on divorce and the elderly includes a secondary analysis of data taken from Current Population Reports (CPR) and from The National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH). Age specific divorce prevalence rates calculated using the CPR, suggests an increase in the proportion of elderly divorced persons over the last 15 years, with the proportion of divorced women being greater than that of divorced men. Findings from the analysis of NSFH data suggests that women were more likely to turn to others for emotional support during separation than were men. Older women were more likely to than older men, The younger were more likely to than the older. Older women had better adjustment scores and overall happiness than did older men.     

THE IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN DIVORCE DECISIONS

This paper studies the linkage between the expected financial consequences of divorce and the decision to become divorced. A standard choice-theoretic model predicts that the probability of divorce will be negatively related to the financial opportunity cost of divorce. This opportunity cost is measured as the difference in the present values of the future income streams that a married woman might expect if she were to stay married rather than become divorced. Our empirical results indicate that the expected short-term financial consequences are a better predictor of subsequent divorce than are the longer-term consequences.     

Till Marriage Do Us Part: Adult Children’s Relationships With Their Parents

Although some emphasize the integrative character of marriage, others argue that marriage undermines relations with extended kin, including aging parents. Utilizing NSFH data (N= 6,108), we find that married women and men have less intense intergenerational ties than the never married and the divorced: The married are less likely to live with parents, stay in touch, and give or receive emotional, financial, and practical help. These differences hold even when we control for structural characteristics, including time demands, needs and resources, and demographic and extended family characteristics. We conclude that marriage is a greedy institution for both women and men. Given the inadequacy of structural explanations, we suggest that cultural explanations for this greediness should be explored.     

Statewide Divorce Rates and Wives' Participation in the Labor Market

An ecological analysis of the relationship between the participation of married women in the labor market and divorce rates was carried out on the continental states of the U.S. for 1980. It was found that the higher the proportion of married women working full-time and the lower proportion of married women working part-time the higher the divorce rate of the state. Reasons for this result were discussed.     

Till Porn Do Us Part? A Longitudinal Examination of Pornography Use and Divorce

As pornography use becomes more commonplace in the United States, and increasingly so among younger cohorts, a growing literature is considering its potential connection to key social and cultural institutions. The current study examined the relationship between pornography use and one such institution: marriage. We drew on three-wave longitudinal data from 2006 to 2014 General Social Survey panel studies to determine whether married Americans’ pornography use predicted their likelihood of divorce over time and under what social conditions. We employed a doubly robust strategy that combines entropy balancing with logistic regression models. We found that the probability of divorce roughly doubled for married Americans who began pornography use between survey waves (N = 2,120; odds ratio = 2.19), and that this relationship held for both women and men. Conversely, discontinuing pornography use between survey waves was associated with a lower probability of divorce, but only for women. Additional analyses also showed that the association between beginning pornography use and the probability of divorce was particularly strong among younger Americans, those who were less religious, and those who reported greater initial marital happiness. We conclude by discussing data limitations, considering potential intervening mechanisms and the possibility of reverse causation, and outlining implications for future research.     

Adult Children of Divorce: Awareness and Intervention

Parental midlife divorce impacts children who are adults at the time of the separation event. This article examines the family life cycle and stages as well as the transitions that occur when parents divorce at midlife. Specifically, the divorce impacts on the adult children are examined in relation to their unique life stage. Therapeutic practice implications and theories will also be explored in relation to assisting adult children of divorce reconcile the divorce experience of their parents.     

Correlates and Consequences of Divorce in an Iranian City

Abstract

This papcr cxatnines the recent trends in divorcc in Iran and analyzes data about the determinants and consequenccs of divorce drawn from a divorce survey in a large urban center. Rcvicw of trends in divorce for the last three decades in Iran suggests that the divorce rate has been changing in response to social and legal changes and eight years of war. Urban background, education, work status of women, and religiosity are significantly related to divorce. Women who are divorced, comparcd to married women, suffer economically and expcricnce more psychological problems. Children of divorced women show indications of a higher level of etnotional disturbance and delinquency.     

Socioeconomic,sociodemographic and attitudinal correlates of the tempo of divorce

The association between sociodemographic, demographic, and attitudinal measures and the timing or tempo of marital dissolution over a 14-year time span is examined. Separation is considered equivalent to divorce. Early and late divorce are differentiated by whether the event occurred before or after the average number of years married prior to divorce. Data were obtained on husbands and wives within childbearing years (up to 39 years) in the 1st years of the 1st marriage. A random stratified sample of 610 couples was drawn from records of marriages in a midwestern county between 1972-77. Reinterviews were conducted on 544 couples in April 1985. socioeconomic variables included educational attainment, occupational prestige, wife's employment status, wife's future work plans, husband's attitude to wife's future work plans, total family income, and level of satisfaction with current financial status. Demographic variables are age at marriage, number of children in 1985, marital duration, and desired family size. Attitudinal items were religiosity and gender role orientations (traditionalism, modernism, egalitarianism). Exposure to divorce was not equitably distributed for the 108 who divorced, but this was not statistically significant. The results indicate that those divorced earlier were wives who worked outside the home, worked at more prestigious jobs, planned to be employed throughout married life, and whose father had a higher level of educational attainment. This finding is not consistent with prior research which has shown that favorable socioeconomic conditions lower the probability of divorce. The timing of divorce was affected by the presence of children. Those married at younger ages divorced earlier and couples with children delayed divorcing longer than couples without children. These findings were consistent with earlier research. Catholic wives delayed divorce longer than non-Catholic wives. Males lower in sexual satisfaction divorced earlier. Divorce was postponed longer for husbands with traditional values and wives who had higher scores on egalitarianism. Wives with scores on modernism had earlier divorces than wives scoring lower on modernism. The tempo of divorce was in multiple classification analysis predicted best by wife's employment status and number of children. Cross-classification was not possible.     

Perceived Causes of Divorce and Postdivorce Adjustment Among Recently Divorced Midlife Women

Fifty-four midlife, divorced women completed a checkIist of perceived causes of divorce and the Fisher's Divorce Adjustment Scale (among other measures). Of the 17 perceived causes of divorce on the checklist, subjects checked Husband Abused Me, Husband's Extramarital Affair, Husband Desired Independence, and Communication Problems significantly more often, and Conflict about In-Laws and My Desire for Independence significantly less often than would be expected by chance. Those subjects checking Husband's Lack of Interest in Me tended to have worse divorce adjustment, while those checking Husband's Alcohol or Drug Abuse, Financial Problems, or My Desire for Independence tended to have better divorce adjustment. Results are interpreted in terms of self-serving attributional bias, a process which is argued to be especially salient for the major role transition which divorce represents for the current cohort of midlife women. Additional data, as well as methodological and other theoretical issues are considered briefly.     

At Midlife, Intentionally Childfree Women and Their Experiences of Regret

Based on the author’s exploratory qualitative study of the experiences at midlife of 15 intentionally childfree married or partnered women, this paper focuses on one finding and related themes. A constructivist grounded theory methodology guided data collection in many areas of midlife, including regret, menopause, and relationships. The data suggested that for most in the study, menopause, perimenopause, and reaching midlife did not awaken feelings of regret over their decision to live childfree. The author discusses implications for clinical work with childfree women at midlife.     

The “Cougar” Phenomenon: An Examination of the Factors That Influence Age‐Hypogamous Sexual Relationships Among Middle‐Aged Women

Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth, the authors considered the prevalence of the “cougar” phenomenon and the characteristics of middle‐aged women who reported having sexual relationships with younger men in the past 12 months. They found that roughly 13% of sexually active women between ages 35 and 44 had slept with a man who was at least 5 years younger. Contrary to conventional assumptions, the results show that women with low incomes and those who self‐identify as “other race” (not White or Black) are more likely to be in an age‐hypogamous sexual relationship. Relative to all other relationship statuses, previously married women are the most likely to choose younger partners. Finally, the results suggest that age‐hypogamous relationships are not simply “flings”; a majority of them last at least 2 years, and a sizable share of “cougars” are married to their younger partners. These results highlight the need to reconsider our conventional understanding of women's sexual relationships at midlife.     

Marriage and the Allocation of Assets in Women’s Defined Contribution Plans

The goal of this paper is to understand the effect of family decision-making on the investment decisions of married men and women. Using data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, we investigate how the spouse’s relative control over financial resources in the household and the life-cycle stage affect the investment choices of married women and men. The results show that married women who have more control over the financial resources are less likely to invest their Defined Contribution Plans (DCPs) in risky assets. Also, women who are married to relatively older men are less likely to take on risk with their DCPs. There is little evidence that the wife’s characteristics affect the investment decisions of married men.     

Continued Pursuit of Happily Ever After: Low Barriers to Divorce and Happiness

Throughout the 1970s, a “no-fault revolution” swept through the United States, reducing the legal and economic barriers to divorce. Previous studies have found that these legal changes did at least temporarily increase divorces, and may have been, on average, detrimental to women’s economic well-being. It has also been suggested that reducing the barriers to divorce redistributed power to spouses with better predicted outcomes on the remarriage market. In keeping with this theory, the current study examined men and women ages 25–50 as they transitioned to low-barriers to divorce regimes. My data show that reductions in the barriers to divorce were associated with reductions in women’s happiness, particularly among older women and women with children. Conversely, older men and men with children (these women’s potential partners) reported on average higher happiness after low barriers to divorce. These relationships were found even for individuals who remained married, suggesting that this redistribution of happiness was in part the result of a change in bargaining power within marriages.     

Changes in Wives' Income: Effects on Marital Happiness,Psychological Well‐Being,and the Risk of Divorce

We investigate the effects of increases in married women's actual income and in their proportion of total family income on marital happiness, psychological well‐being, and the likelihood of divorce. We use data from a sample of 1,047 married individuals (not couples) in medium‐duration marriages, drawn from a five‐wave panel survey begun in 1980 and continuing to 1997. Structural equation modeling is used to assess the impact of increases in married women's absolute and relative income from 1980 to 1988 on the marital happiness and well‐being of married men and women in 1988. Event history analysis is used to determine how these changes affect the risk of divorce between 1988 and 1997. We find that increases in married women's absolute and relative income significantly increase their marital happiness and well‐being. Increases in married women's absolute income generally have nonsignificant effects for married men. However, married men's well‐being is significantly lower when married women's proportional contributions to the total family income are increased. The likelihood of divorce is not significantly affected by increases in married women's income. Nevertheless, increases in married women's income may indirectly lower the risk of divorce by increasing women's marital happiness.     

’Til Divorce Do Us Part: Marriage Dissolution in Later Life

Late-life divorce—commonly referred to as gray divorce—is a rising trend that parallels the growth of the older adult population. We sought to gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of marriage dissolution, the divorce process, and life following divorce in a sample of older adults who divorced after more than 20 years of marriage. Qualitative data were collected from 10 divorcees (7 women and 3 men; M age = 63.5) and analyzed to understand the gray divorce experience; that is, factors that determined or delayed the decision to divorce and divorcees’ coping during and after divorce. Participants’ stories demonstrate that marriages endure despite problems because relationships are complex, and good experiences mix with bad ones. Outcomes of late-life divorce have significant health and financial implications for both individuals and society.     

Women's Education,Marital Violence,and Divorce: A Social Exchange Perspective

Drawing on social exchange theories, the authors hypothesized that educated women are more likely than uneducated women to leave violent marriages and suggested that this pattern offsets the negative education–divorce association commonly found in the United States. They tested these hypotheses using 2 waves of young adult data on 914 married women from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. The evidence suggests that the negative relationship between women's education and divorce is weaker when marriages involve abuse than when they do not. The authors observed a similar pattern when they examined the association of women's proportional earnings and divorce, controlling for education. Supplementary analyses suggested that marital satisfaction explains some of the association among women's resources, victimization, and divorce but that marital violence continues to be a significant moderator of the education–divorce association. In sum, education appears to benefit women by both maintaining stable marriages and dissolving violent ones.     

An Examination of Ever-Divorced Women Who Attempted a Marital Reconciliation Before Becoming Divorced

Using 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Household data, this study provides some insight as to the prevalence and characteristics of ever-divorced white women who attempted a marital reconciliation before becoming divorced. In about 30% of the first marriages that end in divorce in the United States, a period of separation and reconciliation has preceded the woman's divorce. Using multivariate analysis, we find that age at first separation and duration between marriage and first separation have a significant negative relationship with attempting a reconciliation before becoming divorced. Education and age homogamy between the spouses are also significantly related to attempting a reconciliation. The implications of these results are discussed.     

Marital Instability in Men from Intact and Divorced Families:

While researchers have understood the short-term effects of divorce and its harmful effects during childhood, the long- range implications, or effects in adulthood, have largely been ignored. The scant research available on adult children from divorce (ACDs) indicated the presence of long-term effects, with men suffering more effects than women. Theorists have suggested marital instability was transferred to offspring from parents, but were unclear on the mechanics of this process. This study sought to better understand the mechanics of the transmission process by determining whether three variables could help explain marital instability: interpersonal behavior, intimacy, and cognitions or injunctions, in married and divorced men from intact and divorced families of origin. The subjects were 151 male adults, aged 21-42 years, who com- pleted the Injunction Inventory, the Waring Intimacy Questionnaire, and Leary's Interpersonal Checklist. Multiple and one-way analysis of covariance on the data revealed little interaction between early family structure and marital status, but significant results were found which indicated differences between men from divorced families and men from intact families. Male ACDs (adult children of divorce) had a higher frequency of "Don't be close" injunctions, a guarded- hostile interpersonal style, and were maladjusted in responsibility. Intimacy did not differ between the groups.     

Health Insurance and Risk of Divorce: Does Having Your Own Insurance Matter?

Most American adults under 65 obtain health insurance through their employers or their spouses' employers. The absence of a universal health care system in the United States puts Americans at considerable risk for losing their coverage when transitioning out of jobs or marriages. Scholars have found evidence of reduced job mobility among individuals who are dependent on their employers for health care coverage. In this study, the author found similar relationships between insurance and divorce. She applied the hazard model to married individuals in the longitudinal Survey of Income Program Participation (N = 17,388) and found lower divorce rates among people who were insured through their partners' plans without alternative sources of their own. Furthermore, she found gender differences in the relationship between health care coverage and divorce rates: Insurance‐dependent women had lower rates of divorce than men in similar situations. These findings draw attention to the importance of considering family processes when debating and evaluating health policies.