Marital Disruption and Health: Investigating the Role of Divorce in Differential Outcomes

In this paper, we consider the role of marital disruption on health. Much research that has focused on this topic has looked at the mental health effects of divorce with less attention paid to indicators of physical health. Research on mental health indicates that the events of divorce create psychological distress (social causation) but that pre-existing conditions (selectivity) also play a role. We explore this argument for indicators of physical health. Using data from the longitudinal survey Americans' Changing Lives, we find some direct relationship between physical health indicators and divorce. However, depression also plays an explanatory role. Further analysis indicates the role of selection in physical health and divorce. There is a significant relationship between initial physical health decrements and becoming divorced over a three-year period. Poor health, both physical and mental, contributes to becoming divorced. Implications of these results are discussed.