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Marital disruption and depression in a community sample

R H Aseltine1, R C Kessler

  • 1University of Massachusetts.

Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|September 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Marital disruption significantly increases depression risk, particularly for women, and is not solely due to financial stress. Emotional reactivity plays a key role in this mental health decline.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Mental Health Research

Background:

  • Marital disruption's impact on mental health remains unclear despite extensive research.
  • Previous studies often overlook selection effects, complicating causal interpretations.
  • A representative community sample is crucial for understanding these complex relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the causal link between marital disruption and mental health.
  • To address selection biases present in prior research.
  • To explore overlooked factors contributing to depression post-divorce.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a representative community sample for data collection.
  • Employed a three-year interval between data collection waves.
  • Analyzed depression screening scale scores to measure mental health outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Marital disruption correlated with a one-third standard deviation increase in depression.
  • The effect was more pronounced in women and excluded those escaping severely troubled marriages.
  • Financial pressures did not explain the increased depression; emotional reactivity did.

Conclusions:

  • Marital disruption is a significant depressogenic factor, especially for women.
  • Emotional reactivity, not secondary life changes, mediates the link between divorce and depression.
  • Findings highlight the need to consider individual emotional responses in mental health interventions post-divorce.

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