Life after divorce--a five-year follow-up study of divorced middle-aged men in Sweden

Twenty-seven men, between 35 and 49 years of age, were asked via a questionnaire for information about their life circumstances (housing and working conditions, economic situation), actual symptoms, perceived health and health-related behaviour 5 years after they had divorced. The information was compared to corresponding data from an earlier study carried out within 7 months after the legal divorce. Housing conditions and personal economy had improved and working conditions were still satisfactory. Perceptions of health were more positive and in particular earlier, frequently recorded psychological symptoms (uneasiness, anxiety, depression) had diminished. Alcohol and smoking habits remained unchanged and common, especially among manual workers with more than one divorce. Men living in a stable relationship with a new partner or who had custody of children had fewer social and medical problems than men living alone. These findings support the connection between social support and health.