Geographic Mobility as a Factor in Adjustment to Divorce

The purposes of this study were to investigate geographic mobility decisions following marital disruption and to determine the effects of these decisions on adjustment to separation and divorce in a sample of 83 recently separated or divorced persons. The study included both men and women in a design that permitted analyses of adjustment to be undertaken as a function of sex, mobility status, and their interaction. Decisions regarding geographic mobility tended to be consistent with life-long mobility patterns. While male and female movers did not differ in their reasons for moving, female nonmovers based their decision significantly more often than male nonmovers on the availability of social supports. The relationships between geographic mobility decisions and adjustment to separation and divorce were substantially different in the two sexes. Among men, movers were more poorly adjusted; among women, nonmovers were more poorly adjusted. Interstate moves appeared to be particularly stressful for men. These differential findings were considered within the framework of social support theory and social role theory, and were examined in terms of their implications for community-based intervention programs.