FOUR QUESTIONS

• HOW IS MARRIAGE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH?

• HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH?

• ARE MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE DIFFERENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN?

• HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH?

I. TRADITIONAL VIEW

• MARRIAGE IS GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH

• INTERPERSONAL - SOCIAL SUPPORT, EMOTIONAL SECURITY, INTIMACY

• SOCIAL INTEGRATION - TIES TO COMMUNITY

BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE

• ECONOMIC WELL-BEING - MARRIED EARN MORE (WOMEN + $12,000; MEN + $7,000)

• HEALTH BEHAVIOR - MARRIED FEWER RISKIER BEHAVIORS, MORE HEALTH PROMOTIVE BEHAVIORS

II. BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE DATED

• CHANGES IN SOCIAL NORMS

• STAYING SINGLE AND GETTING DIVORCED NOT STIGMATIZED

• MORE CHILDREN OUT-OF-WEDLOCK - 33% IN U.S.; 50% IN SCANDANAVIA

• RISE OF COHABITATION

FEMINIST VIEW

• ADVANTAGES ONLY FOR MEN

• MARRIAGE SOURCE OF OPPRESSION FOR WOMEN

• ROLE OVERLOAD

• FAMILY VIOLENCE

HOW TELL IF MARRIAGE BENEFITS?

• CAN’T JUST COMPARE MARRIED TO SINGLE

• SELECTION OF GOOD MENTAL HEALTH INTO MARRIAGE

• MUST LOOK AT CHANGES FROM BEING SINGLE TO BEING MARRIED

• MUST COMPARE TO GROUP STAYING SINGLE

RUTGERS HHDP STUDY

• LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 1300 REPRESENTATIVE NEW JERSEY ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

• FIVE SURVEYS IN 1980, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1998

• NOW ARE AGES 36 - 42

FINDINGS

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FINDINGS

• MARRIED HAVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH THAN SINGLE

• LESS DEPRESSION FOR BOTH MARRIED MEN AND WOMEN

• MARRIED HAVE FAR FEWER ALC PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY WOMEN

• SINGLE WOMEN MOST DEPRESSED

FINDINGS (CONT.)

• SINGLE MEN HAVE MOST ALCOHOL PROBLEMS

CONCLUSIONS

• MARRIAGE STILL GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH

• GOOD FOR BOTH SEXES

• NOT SELECTION

• MOST SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL VIEW

DIVORCE

• HALF OF ALL MARRIAGES END IN DIVORCE

• MAJOR CHANGE IN 1970’S - PRESENT

MARITAL DISSOLUTION

• SEP/DIV HAVE HIGHEST RATE OF ALL MENTAL DISORDERS, SUICIDE, ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROBLEMS, MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT

• SEPARATION MORE DISTRESSING THAN DIVORCE

WHY IS DISSOLUTION SO HARMFUL?

• CONFLICT AND TURMOIL

• SELF-CONCEPTION

• SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS/ SUPPORT

• ECONOMIC DETERIORATION

• CHANGE IN LIVING CONDITIONS

• CHILDREN

• ALL HAPPENING AT SAME TIME

RUTGERS HHDP STUDY

• 592 PEOPLE WHO MARRIED AT EARLIER TIME

• COMPARES 127 SEPARATED OR DIVORCED TO 465 MARRIED AT LATER TIME

IMPACT OF DIVORCE

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FINDINGS

• DISSOLUTION LEADS TO MORE DEPRESSION AND ALC. PROBLEMS

• MORE DEPRESSION AND ALCOHOL PROBLEMS FOR BOTH WOMEN AND MEN

• HARMFUL IMPACT OF DISSOLUTION SAME FOR MEN AND WOMEN

• NOT SELECTION

VARIATION

• DIFFERENT MECHANISMS FOR MEN AND WOMEN

• CONTEXT OF DIVORCE• GOOD MARRIAGE MEANS BAD

DIVORCE• PRESENCE OF MANY SECONDARY

STRESSORS• PRESENCE OF CHILDREN

CONCLUSIONS

• MARITAL DISSOLUTION VERY BAD FOR MENTAL HEALTH

• WORSE THAN STAYING IN BAD MARRIAGE??

TRADITIONAL VIEW

• DIVORCE VERY HARMFUL TO CHILDREN

• BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM

• IMPACTS MENTAL HEALTH, RELATIONSHIPS, ACHIEVEMENT

QUESTIONS

• STILL TRUE?

• NEED PROSPECTIVE NOT JUST RETROSPECTIVE

• NEED CONTROL GROUP

• USE RUTGERS HHDS TO ASK ?S.

RUTGERS HHDP STUDY

• COMPARE ADULTS WHOSE PARENTS DIVORCED DURING ADOLESCENCE TO THOSE WHOSE DIDN’T

• LONG RUN AND SHORT-RUN EFFECTS

• PROSPECTIVE NOT RETROSPECTIVE

• 25% HAD DIVORCED PARENTS

PARENTAL DIVORCE

• NO DIFFERENCES AT ALL

• ALL AGES OF PARENTAL DIVORCE

• BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM

• HOLDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH, ACHIEVEMENT, RELATIONSHIPS

REASONS?

• BIG SURPRISE

• DIVORCE NOW NORMALIZED

• CONFLICT AMONG PARENTS RELATED TO POOR MENTAL HEALTH

• PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS STRONGEST PREDICTOR

• QUALITY MORE THAN DIVORCE

CONCLUSIONS

• MENTALLY HEALTHY TO GET AND STAY MARRIED FOR BOTH SEXES

• MARITAL DISSOLUTION ESPECIALLY BAD FOR BOTH SEXES

• IMPLICATIONS BAD - MORE PEOPLE REMAINING UNMARRIED, MARRYING LATER, GETTING DIVORCED

• DIVORCE MAY BE GETTING BETTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN