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

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

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