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MARITAL STATUS AND MENTAL HEALTH

MARITAL STATUS AND MENTAL HEALTH. FOUR QUESTIONS. HOW IS MARRIAGE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH? HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH? ARE MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE DIFFERENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN? HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH?. I. TRADITIONAL VIEW.

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MARITAL STATUS AND MENTAL HEALTH

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  1. MARITAL STATUS AND MENTAL HEALTH

  2. FOUR QUESTIONS • HOW IS MARRIAGE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH? • HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH? • ARE MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE DIFFERENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN? • HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH?

  3. I. TRADITIONAL VIEW • MARRIAGE IS GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH • INTERPERSONAL - SOCIAL SUPPORT, EMOTIONAL SECURITY, INTIMACY • SOCIAL INTEGRATION - TIES TO COMMUNITY

  4. BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE • ECONOMIC WELL-BEING - MARRIED EARN MORE (WOMEN + $12,000; MEN + $7,000) • HEALTH BEHAVIOR - MARRIED FEWER RISKIER BEHAVIORS, MORE HEALTH PROMOTIVE BEHAVIORS

  5. II. BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE DATED • CHANGES IN SOCIAL NORMS • STAYING SINGLE AND GETTING DIVORCED NOT STIGMATIZED • MORE CHILDREN OUT-OF-WEDLOCK - 33% IN U.S.; 50% IN SCANDANAVIA • RISE OF COHABITATION

  6. FEMINIST VIEW • ADVANTAGES ONLY FOR MEN • MARRIAGE SOURCE OF OPPRESSION FOR WOMEN • ROLE OVERLOAD • FAMILY VIOLENCE

  7. EVIDENCE

  8. HOW TELL IF MARRIAGE BENEFITS? • CAN’T JUST COMPARE MARRIED TO SINGLE • SELECTION OF GOOD MENTAL HEALTH INTO MARRIAGE • MUST LOOK AT CHANGES FROM BEING SINGLE TO BEING MARRIED • MUST COMPARE TO GROUP STAYING SINGLE

  9. RUTGERS HHDP STUDY • LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 1300 REPRESENTATIVE NEW JERSEY ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS • FIVE SURVEYS IN 1980, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1998 • NOW ARE AGES 36 - 42

  10. FINDINGS

  11. FINDINGS • MARRIED HAVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH THAN SINGLE • LESS DEPRESSION FOR BOTH MARRIED MEN AND WOMEN • MARRIED HAVE FAR FEWER ALC PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY WOMEN • SINGLE WOMEN MOST DEPRESSED

  12. FINDINGS (CONT.) • SINGLE MEN HAVE MOST ALCOHOL PROBLEMS

  13. CONCLUSIONS • MARRIAGE STILL GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH • GOOD FOR BOTH SEXES • NOT SELECTION • MOST SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL VIEW

  14. MARITAL DISSOLUTION

  15. DIVORCE • HALF OF ALL MARRIAGES END IN DIVORCE • MAJOR CHANGE IN 1970’S - PRESENT

  16. MARITAL DISSOLUTION • SEP/DIV HAVE HIGHEST RATE OF ALL MENTAL DISORDERS, SUICIDE, ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROBLEMS, MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT • SEPARATION MORE DISTRESSING THAN DIVORCE

  17. WHY IS DISSOLUTION SO HARMFUL? • CONFLICT AND TURMOIL • SELF-CONCEPTION • SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS/ SUPPORT • ECONOMIC DETERIORATION • CHANGE IN LIVING CONDITIONS • CHILDREN • ALL HAPPENING AT SAME TIME

  18. RUTGERS HHDP STUDY • 592 PEOPLE WHO MARRIED AT EARLIER TIME • COMPARES 127 SEPARATED OR DIVORCED TO 465 MARRIED AT LATER TIME

  19. IMPACT OF DIVORCE

  20. FINDINGS • DISSOLUTION LEADS TO MORE DEPRESSION AND ALC. PROBLEMS • MORE DEPRESSION AND ALCOHOL PROBLEMS FOR BOTH WOMEN AND MEN • HARMFUL IMPACT OF DISSOLUTION SAME FOR MEN AND WOMEN • NOT SELECTION

  21. VARIATION • DIFFERENT MECHANISMS FOR MEN AND WOMEN • CONTEXT OF DIVORCE • GOOD MARRIAGE MEANS BAD DIVORCE • PRESENCE OF MANY SECONDARY STRESSORS • PRESENCE OF CHILDREN

  22. CONCLUSIONS • MARITAL DISSOLUTION VERY BAD FOR MENTAL HEALTH • WORSE THAN STAYING IN BAD MARRIAGE??

  23. PARENTAL DIVORCE

  24. TRADITIONAL VIEW • DIVORCE VERY HARMFUL TO CHILDREN • BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM • IMPACTS MENTAL HEALTH, RELATIONSHIPS, ACHIEVEMENT

  25. QUESTIONS • STILL TRUE? • NEED PROSPECTIVE NOT JUST RETROSPECTIVE • NEED CONTROL GROUP • USE RUTGERS HHDS TO ASK ?S.

  26. RUTGERS HHDP STUDY • COMPARE ADULTS WHOSE PARENTS DIVORCED DURING ADOLESCENCE TO THOSE WHOSE DIDN’T • LONG RUN AND SHORT-RUN EFFECTS • PROSPECTIVE NOT RETROSPECTIVE • 25% HAD DIVORCED PARENTS

  27. PARENTAL DIVORCE • NO DIFFERENCES AT ALL • ALL AGES OF PARENTAL DIVORCE • BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM • HOLDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH, ACHIEVEMENT, RELATIONSHIPS

  28. REASONS? • BIG SURPRISE • DIVORCE NOW NORMALIZED • CONFLICT AMONG PARENTS RELATED TO POOR MENTAL HEALTH • PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS STRONGEST PREDICTOR • QUALITY MORE THAN DIVORCE

  29. CONCLUSIONS • MENTALLY HEALTHY TO GET AND STAY MARRIED FOR BOTH SEXES • MARITAL DISSOLUTION ESPECIALLY BAD FOR BOTH SEXES • IMPLICATIONS BAD - MORE PEOPLE REMAINING UNMARRIED, MARRYING LATER, GETTING DIVORCED • DIVORCE MAY BE GETTING BETTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN

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