Effects Of Divorce

EFFECTS OF DIVORCE

Focus on the Family states: With more than 30 years of research, we now know divorce seldom leads to a better life. Consider that:

1. Life expectancies for divorced men and women are significantly lower than for married people (who have the longest life expectancies).3

2. A recent study found those who were unhappy but stay married were more likely to be happy five years later than those who divorced.4

3. The health consequences of divorce are so severe that a Yale researcher concluded that “being divorced and a nonsmoker is [only] slightly less dangerous than smoking a pack a day and staying married.”5

4. After a diagnosis of cancer, married people are most likely to recover, while the divorced are least likely to recover, indicating that the emotional trauma of divorce has a long-term impact on the physical health of the body.

5. Men and women both suffer a decline in mental health following divorce, but researchers have found that women are more greatly affected. Some of the mental health indicators affected by divorce include depression, hostility, self-acceptance, personal growth and positive relations with others.