Is divorce fatal? A recent University of Arizona study found that divorcees have a 23 percent greater risk of premature death than do married couples. According to the study, divorced men had a 31 percent greater chance of early death than married men, while divorced women faced an 18 percent greater risk than their married counterparts. The study reported that the risks associated with divorce are as serious as the risks of smoking 15 cigarettes a day, being sedentary, drinking heavily, and being overweight.
The study did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between divorce and early death. The study measured correlation, not causation. In other words, it’s not clear whether poor health leads to divorce, whether divorce leads to poor health, or whether other factors may cause both poor health and a higher incidence of divorce. For example, substance abuse may lead to both divorce and premature death. In short, while the study is interesting, you shouldn’t worry that if you are divorced or getting divorced you will automatically die young. Research on this subject is ongoing.
I was unable to find the full study online. It was published in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, and the journal and study are only available by paid subscription. A summary of the study was published in the January 10, 2012 edition of The Arizona Republic newspaper and is available now at http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/12/29/20111229ua-study-divorce-can-raise-risk-early-death.html.
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