Anxiety, depression and associated factors among recently divorced individuals

In divorce research, studies using large samples, very recently divorced individuals and validated measures of depression and anxiety with available background populations for comparison are missing.

This study aimed to investigate symptoms of depression and anxiety among recently divorced Danes and assess the explanatory power of relevant sociodemographic- and divorce-related variables on these symptoms.

The study utilized an online cross-sectional design and a total of 1856 Danish citizens recruited through the Danish State Administration. Average scores for depression and anxiety were compared to the Danish background population and regression analyses were conducted to assess the explanatory power of sociodemographic- and divorce characteristics on symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Divorcees reported significantly higher levels of both depressive and anxiety symptoms than the background population with a large proportion of the sample scoring equal to or higher than generally recommended cut-off values for risk of suffering from a psychiatric diagnosable case of depression or anxiety. Both sociodemographic- and divorce characteristics were predictive of symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The findings underline the relevance of public health intervention targeting symptoms of depression and anxiety among recently divorced individuals.