Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
The process by which economic distress influences marital relations in farm families is largely unknown. Drawing on a sample of married persons in farm homes interviewed in 1981 and again in 1986, changes in the farm economy are linked to changes in mental health, marital happiness, marital communication, and thinking about divorce. Economic hardship is strongly related to thoughts about divorce. Implications of the findings for family life education are presented.
Johnson et al. (1990) studied this question.