Title | Depressive symptoms following later-life marital dissolution and subsequent repartnering. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2019 |
Authors | Lin, I-F, Brown, SL, Wright, MR, Hammersmith, AM |
Journal | Journal of Health and Social Behavior |
ISSN Number | 2150-6000 |
Keywords | Depressive symptoms, Divorce, Family Roles/Relationships, Marriage, Widowhood |
Abstract | The doubling of the divorce rate among individuals over age 50 during the past 20 years underscores the urgency of studying the consequences of gray divorce and subsequent repartnering for adult well-being. We filled this gap by using the 1998-to-2014 Health and Retirement Study to evaluate how the levels of depressive symptoms changed following gray divorce versus widowhood. Individuals who divorced or became widowed already had experienced higher levels of depressive symptoms before dissolution relative to those who remained married. Compared with those who became widowed, those who transitioned to divorce experienced a lower elevation and a shorter time to recovery in depressive symptoms. When repartnering, both groups experienced similar magnitudes of initial reduction and subsequent rates of increase. Both the negative consequences of marital dissolution and the beneficial effects of repartnership for mental health persisted for several years, although ultimately they reverted to their predissolution levels of depressive symptoms. |
DOI | 10.1177/0022146519839683 |
User Guide Notes | |
Alternate Journal | J Health Soc Behav |
Citation Key | 10054 |
PubMed ID | 30957562 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC6565490 |
Grant List | P2C HD050959 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States R15 AG047588 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States |