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Marital stability among physicians

K D Rose, I Rosow

    California Medicine
    |March 1, 1972
    PubMed

    Insights

    Physicians experience lower marital failure rates than the general population and other professionals. However, marital instability peaks between ages 35-44, with women and Black physicians showing higher divorce proneness.

    Area of Science:

    • Sociology
    • Medical Demographics
    • Family Studies

    Background:

    • Marital stability is a significant factor in professional well-being.
    • Previous research has explored divorce rates across various demographics, but physician-specific data is less common.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze marital failure rates among physicians in California.
    • To compare physician divorce rates with the general population and other professional groups.
    • To identify demographic factors influencing marital instability within the physician population.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of 57,514 divorce, separate maintenance, and annulment complaints filed in California.
    • Data collected during the first six months of 1968.
    • Comparison of marital failure rates between physicians and the general male population, and physicians and other professionals.

    Main Results:

    • Physicians exhibit lower marital failure rates compared to the general male population and other professionals.
    • The highest incidence of marital breakdown for physicians occurs between ages 35 and 44.
    • Female physicians are 40% more prone to marital instability than male physicians.
    • Black physicians show nearly 70% higher divorce rates than white physicians.
    • Orthopedists and psychiatrists may have the highest rates of marital dissolution among specialists.

    Conclusions:

    • Physicians, as a group, demonstrate greater marital stability than the general population.
    • Specific demographic factors, including gender and race, significantly impact marital stability among physicians.
    • Age is a critical factor, with a pronounced peak in marital dissolution for physicians in middle age.

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