FOUR QUESTIONS HOW IS MARRIAGE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH? HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH? ARE MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE DIFFERENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN?
Post on 20-Dec-2015
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FOUR QUESTIONS
• HOW IS MARRIAGE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH?
• HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH?
• ARE MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE DIFFERENT FOR MEN AND WOMEN?
• HOW IS DIVORCE RELATED TO CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH?
I. TRADITIONAL VIEW
• MARRIAGE IS GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH
• INTERPERSONAL - SOCIAL SUPPORT, EMOTIONAL SECURITY, INTIMACY
• SOCIAL INTEGRATION - TIES TO COMMUNITY
BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE
• ECONOMIC WELL-BEING - MARRIED EARN MORE (WOMEN + $12,000; MEN + $7,000)
• HEALTH BEHAVIOR - MARRIED FEWER RISKIER BEHAVIORS, MORE HEALTH PROMOTIVE BEHAVIORS
II. BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE DATED
• CHANGES IN SOCIAL NORMS
• STAYING SINGLE AND GETTING DIVORCED NOT STIGMATIZED
• MORE CHILDREN OUT-OF-WEDLOCK - 33% IN U.S.; 50% IN SCANDANAVIA
• RISE OF COHABITATION
FEMINIST VIEW
• ADVANTAGES ONLY FOR MEN
• MARRIAGE SOURCE OF OPPRESSION FOR WOMEN
• ROLE OVERLOAD
• FAMILY VIOLENCE
HOW TELL IF MARRIAGE BENEFITS?
• CAN’T JUST COMPARE MARRIED TO SINGLE
• SELECTION OF GOOD MENTAL HEALTH INTO MARRIAGE
• MUST LOOK AT CHANGES FROM BEING SINGLE TO BEING MARRIED
• MUST COMPARE TO GROUP STAYING SINGLE
RUTGERS HHDP STUDY
• LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 1300 REPRESENTATIVE NEW JERSEY ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
• FIVE SURVEYS IN 1980, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1998
• NOW ARE AGES 36 - 42
FINDINGS
• MARRIED HAVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH THAN SINGLE
• LESS DEPRESSION FOR BOTH MARRIED MEN AND WOMEN
• MARRIED HAVE FAR FEWER ALC PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY WOMEN
• SINGLE WOMEN MOST DEPRESSED
CONCLUSIONS
• MARRIAGE STILL GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH
• GOOD FOR BOTH SEXES
• NOT SELECTION
• MOST SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL VIEW
MARITAL DISSOLUTION
• SEP/DIV HAVE HIGHEST RATE OF ALL MENTAL DISORDERS, SUICIDE, ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROBLEMS, MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
• SEPARATION MORE DISTRESSING THAN DIVORCE
WHY IS DISSOLUTION SO HARMFUL?
• CONFLICT AND TURMOIL
• SELF-CONCEPTION
• SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS/ SUPPORT
• ECONOMIC DETERIORATION
• CHANGE IN LIVING CONDITIONS
• CHILDREN
• ALL HAPPENING AT SAME TIME
RUTGERS HHDP STUDY
• 592 PEOPLE WHO MARRIED AT EARLIER TIME
• COMPARES 127 SEPARATED OR DIVORCED TO 465 MARRIED AT LATER TIME
FINDINGS
• DISSOLUTION LEADS TO MORE DEPRESSION AND ALC. PROBLEMS
• MORE DEPRESSION AND ALCOHOL PROBLEMS FOR BOTH WOMEN AND MEN
• HARMFUL IMPACT OF DISSOLUTION SAME FOR MEN AND WOMEN
• NOT SELECTION
VARIATION
• DIFFERENT MECHANISMS FOR MEN AND WOMEN
• CONTEXT OF DIVORCE• GOOD MARRIAGE MEANS BAD
DIVORCE• PRESENCE OF MANY SECONDARY
STRESSORS• PRESENCE OF CHILDREN
TRADITIONAL VIEW
• DIVORCE VERY HARMFUL TO CHILDREN
• BOTH SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM
• IMPACTS MENTAL HEALTH, RELATIONSHIPS, ACHIEVEMENT
QUESTIONS
• STILL TRUE?
• NEED PROSPECTIVE NOT JUST RETROSPECTIVE
• NEED CONTROL GROUP
• USE RUTGERS HHDS TO ASK ?S.
RUTGERS HHDP STUDY
• COMPARE ADULTS WHOSE PARENTS DIVORCED DURING ADOLESCENCE TO THOSE WHOSE DIDN’T
• LONG RUN AND SHORT-RUN EFFECTS
• PROSPECTIVE NOT RETROSPECTIVE
• 25% HAD DIVORCED PARENTS
PARENTAL DIVORCE
• NO DIFFERENCES AT ALL
• ALL AGES OF PARENTAL DIVORCE
• BOTH SHORT AND LONG TERM
• HOLDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH, ACHIEVEMENT, RELATIONSHIPS
REASONS?
• BIG SURPRISE
• DIVORCE NOW NORMALIZED
• CONFLICT AMONG PARENTS RELATED TO POOR MENTAL HEALTH
• PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS STRONGEST PREDICTOR
• QUALITY MORE THAN DIVORCE
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