Marital Dissolution and Work Disability: A Longitudinal Study of Administrative Data

This study uses Norwegian administrative data in an analysis of sick leaves and receipt of health-related benefits over a period of five years surrounding marital dissolution. Expanding the literature on the poorer health of divorced compared with married individuals, it examines previously unexplored indicators of poor health and employs data collected at more frequent intervals than most prior studies. Results indicate that the selection of the less healthy into the divorced status is more important than health problems that result from marital dissolution itself; moreover, the latter effect is relatively short-lived. These results vary, however, by age, gender, and the presence of children, with stronger, negative effects of divorce found among parents and young men. Our findings are compared with the results from studies utilizing more conventional measures of health from survey data.