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Updated: Feb 12, 2026
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Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
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Marital Dissolution and Major Depression in Midlife: A Propensity Score Analysis
David A Sbarra1, Robert E Emery2, Christopher R Beam2
1University of Arizona, Department of Psychology.
Summary
Marital dissolution increases depression risk only for adults already experiencing depression. Separation/divorce does not cause major depressive disorder in initially non-depressed adults, indicating complex causality.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Marital dissolution is often linked to adult depression.
- Causality is debated due to directionality and third variable issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal relationship between marital dissolution and depression.
- To differentiate between social selection and social causation in major depressive disorder (MDE) risk.
Main Methods:
- Utilized propensity score matching on the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) dataset.
- Identified a sub-sample of continuously married participants with similar divorce risk to separated/divorced participants.
- Analyzed depression rates at two assessment waves, controlling for divorce propensity.
Main Results:
- Increased depression rates post-separation/divorce were observed only in individuals with pre-existing depression.
- Separation/divorce did not elevate MDE risk for individuals not depressed at baseline.
- Findings suggest both social selection and social causation contribute to MDE risk in separated/divorced adults.
Conclusions:
- Marital dissolution's impact on depression is conditional on prior mental health status.
- Both pre-existing depression (social selection) and the experience of separation/divorce (social causation) are crucial factors for MDE risk.
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