Divorce isn’t fun, but can it be deadly? To test this possibility, researchers analyzed dozens of studies that included over 750,000 divorcees (i.e., people who have divorced) and millions of married participants. When divorcees were compared to married individuals, those who divorced had an increased risk of early death, especially younger folks and men. Someone should be sure to share these results with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.
Sbarra, D. A., Law, R. W., & Portley, R. M. (2011). Divorce and death: A meta-analysis and research agenda for clinical, social, and health psychology. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(5), 454–474.
mychalday says
i got married on october 2, 2010. i got divorced on july 1, 2011. i am male and i am 35. according to this article i am "increased risk of early death". does the article give solutions on how to prevent this trend?
Science of Relationships says
More than anything you should keep in mind that the study is about "risk" and does not mean that death is a certainty. This is especially true since the data are based on correlation, making it impossible to pinpoint exact causes. As the authors explain in the paper "That divorce exerts a long-term causal influence on the risk for early death is not implausible, but it is critical to recognize that any causal processes unfolding after marital separation or divorce do so in the context of other confounding effects, which are widely understood as selection processes that increase risk for both divorce and poor health outcomes." Basically, it may not be divorce, age, or gender, per se, but that these factors are also associated with other lifestyle choices (e.g., risk-taking behaviors, alcohol/drug abuse etc.) that also make death more likely. The good news is that you are now aware of the potential increased risk and can take active measures (like living a more healthy lifestyle overall) to help minimize your risk.