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Hu Y, Metsä-Simola N, Malmberg S, Martikainen P. Trajectories of antidepressant use before and after union dissolution and re-partnering in later life: a prospective total population register-based cohort study. J Epidemiol Community Health 2024; 78:277-283. [PMID: 38320855 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2023-221529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Grey divorce and later remarriage have become increasingly common in high-income countries, but previous evidence on their impacts on mental health is scarce. Even less is known about the effects of non-marital separation and re-partnering in later life. METHODS Using Finnish registry data from 1996 to 2018 on 228 644 individuals aged 50-70 in 2000-2014, trajectories of antidepressant (AD) use 4 years before and 4 years after divorce, non-marital separation, bereavement and subsequent re-partnering were examined using individual fixed-effects (FE) linear probability models. RESULTS In adjusted FE models, for both genders AD use increased during the 4 years before divorce (men: 5.00 percentage points (95% CI 4.50 to 5.50); women: 6.96 (95% CI 6.34 to 7.59)), non-marital separation (men: 3.20 (95% CI 2.72 to 3.69); women: 5.98 (95% CI 5.30 to 6.66)) and bereavement (men: 4.53 (95% CI 3.97 to 5.09); women: 5.64 (95% CI 5.25 to 6.04)), with the increase accelerating immediately before the event. AD use gradually declined after union dissolution, after which it stabilised on a persistently higher level compared with pre-dissolution. Re-partnering was only associated with a small and transitory reduction in AD use (0.1-1.5 percentage points). The increases in AD use associated with union dissolution were larger in women than in men, whereas the small reductions in AD use associated with re-partnering were particularly short-lived among women. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that union dissolution in later life is associated with large and persistent increases in AD use, whereas the reductions associated with re-partnering are limited both in magnitude and duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoyue Hu
- School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Niina Metsä-Simola
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Satu Malmberg
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Martikainen
- Population Research Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
- Max Planck - University of Helsinki Center for Social Inequalities in Population Health, Helsinki, Finland
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Kaneva M, Gerry CJ. Labour market status and depression in Russia: A longitudinal study, 2011-2017. Scand J Public Health 2023; 51:1077-1085. [PMID: 34213366 DOI: 10.1177/14034948211026784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
AIMS This is the first longitudinal study to examine the relationship between depression and the labour market in Russia. Using data from 2011 to 2017, we identify the impact that not being in employment has on mental distress, and we explore the mechanism underlying the observed association. METHODS Using data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey - Higher School of Economics, we employ random-effects regression models to estimate the impact of employment conditions on the likelihood of reporting mental distress in Russia. This method allows us to distinguish between the selection effect associated with mental distress and direct causation. RESULTS Controlling for a range of socio-economic and demographic characteristics, we find that unemployment and labour market inactivity are strong predictors of the likelihood of reporting depression and serious nervous breakdown. However, we find that rather than negative labour market events giving rise to mental distress, the selection effect actually dominates, and the direction of causality therefore operates in reverse. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge of the underlying mechanism that links unfavourable labour market outcomes with mental distress is crucial for designing policies that can address this link. We argue that our findings provide grounds for the initiation of anti-stigma campaigns among employers, policymakers, health practitioners and politicians as well as the general population. Eradication of the perception that mental disorders are somehow different to 'real' illnesses will not only prevent Russians from self-selection into unemployment but may also transform outdated approaches to mental health care in Russia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kaneva
- International Laboratory for Economics of Healthcare and Its Reforms, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, Russia
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3
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Meulman I, Loef B, Stadhouders N, Moger TA, Wong A, Polder JJ, Uiters E. Estimating healthcare expenditures after becoming divorced or widowed using propensity score matching. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2023; 24:1047-1060. [PMID: 36251142 PMCID: PMC10406688 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-022-01532-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Becoming divorced or widowed are stressful life events experienced by a substantial part of the population. While marital status is a significant predictor in many studies on healthcare expenditures, effects of a change in marital status, specifically becoming divorced or widowed, are less investigated. This study combines individual health claims data and registered sociodemographic characteristics from all Dutch inhabitants (about 17 million) to estimate the differences in healthcare expenditure for individuals whose marital status changed (n = 469,901) compared to individuals who remained married, using propensity score matching and generalized linear models. We found that individuals who were (long-term) divorced or widowed had 12-27% higher healthcare expenditures (RR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.11-1.14; RR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.26-1.29) than individuals who remained married. Foremost, this could be attributed to higher spending on mental healthcare and home care. Higher healthcare expenditures are observed for both divorced and widowed individuals, both recently and long-term divorced/widowed individuals, and across all age groups, income levels and educational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Meulman
- Center for Health and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
- Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
| | - Bette Loef
- Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Niek Stadhouders
- Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tron Anders Moger
- Department of Health Management and Health Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Albert Wong
- Department of Statistics, Informatics and Modeling, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Johan J Polder
- Center for Health and Society, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
- Department Tranzo, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen Uiters
- Center for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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Christiansen SG, Kravdal Ø. Union Status and Disability Pension. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POPULATION = REVUE EUROPEENNE DE DEMOGRAPHIE 2023; 39:21. [PMID: 37401991 PMCID: PMC10319698 DOI: 10.1007/s10680-023-09670-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
A lot is known about the association between marital status and mortality, and some of these studies have included data on cohabitation. Studies on the association with health problems, rather than mortality, are often based on self-reported health outcomes, and results from these studies are mixed. As cohabitation is now widespread, more studies that include data on cohabitation are needed. We use Norwegian register data that include detailed information about union status and all cases of disability pensioning from 2005 to 2016. We employ Cox regression analysis and a within-family design in order to control for hard to measure childhood characteristics. Compared to the married, the cohabiting have a somewhat higher risk of receiving disability pension due to mental disorders, and for men also due to physical disorders. Receipt of disability pension is most common among the never married, especially for men. The association between union status and disability pensioning is stronger for mental than for physical disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Solveig Glestad Christiansen
- Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 222, 0213, Skøyen, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Øystein Kravdal
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Economics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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5
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Barbuscia A, Cambois E, Pailhé A, Comolli CL, Bernardi L. Health after union dissolution(s): Cumulative and temporal dynamics. SSM Popul Health 2022; 17:101042. [PMID: 35242992 PMCID: PMC8857077 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The number of individuals experiencing one or multiple union dissolutions in their lifetime is increasing. The literature has shown significant interactions with health disorders, in response to the crisis situation that affects the spouses. However, processes are still unclear, in particular regarding the timing of the affection. This study explored whether different health disorders are observed shortly after dissolution or are delayed, and whether they are short- or long-lasting. We used data from the two waves (2006 and 2010) of the French Health and Professional Lives Survey (SIP) among 8349 individuals aged 25–64 years. Based on three health disorders, we studied 1) their levels in relation to the retrospective histories of union dissolutions; 2) health changes associated with a dissolution occurring between the two waves. We found that individuals who experienced one or multiple union dissolutions had worse self-rated health, more depressive symptoms and sleep disorders. The two latter were more related with a recent dissolution than with distant ones, suggesting an immediate association, yet long-lasting. Self-rated health was related with distant dissolutions only, suggesting a lagged, however also long-lasting association. Experiencing union dissolution between the two waves was linked to a higher probability of the onset of sleep disorders and depressive mood, and of deterioration of self-rated health if it was not the first dissolution. Our study shows that union dissolutions are highly correlated with different poor health measures, in the short and the long run, depending on the health disorder, with cumulative and durable effects. Union dissolutions (especially multiple) were linked to worse self-rated health, more depressive symptoms and sleep disorders. Associations were reduced, yet still significant after controlling for individual demographic and socio-economic characteristics. All disorders were observed up to 10 years after the last dissolution, but the effects emerged with different timing. Self-rated health was affected by cumulative processes with lagged associations with the dissolutions. Depressive symptoms and sleep disorders were also sensitive to cumulative processes, yet concomitant with the dissolutions.
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The Influence of Work-Family Trajectories on Life Satisfaction of Retired Women. JOURNAL OF POPULATION AGEING 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12062-021-09355-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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7
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Gray divorce and mental health in the United Kingdom. Soc Sci Med 2020; 256:113030. [DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Raley RK, Sweeney MM. Divorce, Repartnering, and Stepfamilies: A Decade in Review. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 2020; 82:81-99. [PMID: 38283127 PMCID: PMC10817771 DOI: 10.1111/jomf.12651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
This article reviews key developments in the past decade of research on divorce, repartnering, and stepfamilies. Divorce rates are declining overall, but they remain high and have risen among people older than age 50. Remarriage rates have declined, but the overall proportion of marriages that are remarriages is rising. Transitions in parents' relationships continue to be associated with reduced child well-being, but shifting patterns of divorce and repartnering during the past decade have also reshaped the family lives of older adults. We review research on the predictors and consequences of these trends and consider what they reveal about the changing significance of marriage as an institution. Overall, recent research on divorce, repartnering, and stepfamilies points to the persistence of marriage as a stratified and stratifying institution and indicates that the demographic complexity of family life is here to stay.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Kelly Raley
- Department of Sociology & Population Research Center, University of Texas, Austin 305 E 23rd St., Stop G1800, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Megan M. Sweeney
- Department of Sociology & California Center for Population Research, University of California, Los Angeles, 264 Haines Hall, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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Tosi M, Albertini M. Does Children's Union Dissolution Hurt Elderly Parents? Linked Lives, Divorce and Mental Health in Europe. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POPULATION = REVUE EUROPEENNE DE DEMOGRAPHIE 2019; 35:695-717. [PMID: 31656458 PMCID: PMC6797683 DOI: 10.1007/s10680-018-9501-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown that parent's union dissolution has negative consequences for individuals' well-being, parent-child relationships and children's outcomes. However, less attention has been devoted to the effects in the opposite direction, i.e. how children's divorce affects parents' well-being. We adopted a cross-country, longitudinal and multigenerational perspective to analyse whether children's marital break-up is associated with changes in parents' depressive symptoms. Using data from 17 countries and 5 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (2004-2015), fixed effect linear regression models were estimated to account for time-constant social selection processes into divorce/separation. The results show that across European contexts parents' depressive symptoms increased as one of their children divorced. Furthermore, we found that parents living in more traditional societies, such as Southern European ones, experienced higher increases in depression symptoms when a child divorced than those living in Nordic countries. Overall, the findings provide new evidence in support of both the notion of "linked lives" and a normative perspective of family life course events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Tosi
- Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE UK
| | - Marco Albertini
- Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Bologna, Strada Maggiore 45, 40125 Bologna, Italy
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10
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Wood N, McMunn A, Webb E, Stafford M. Marriage and physical capability at mid to later life in England and the USA. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209388. [PMID: 30673714 PMCID: PMC6343866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Married people have lower rates of mortality and report better physical and mental health at older ages, compared to their unmarried counterparts. However, there is limited evidence on the association between marriage and physical capability, the ability to carry out the tasks of daily living, which is predictive of future mortality and social care use. We investigate the association between marital status and physical capability at mid to later life in England and the United States. METHODS We examine the association between marriage and physical capability at mid to later life in England and the USA using two performance-based measures of physical capability: grip strength and walking speed. Multiple linear regression was carried out on Wave 4 (2008) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and Waves 8 and 9 (2006 and 2008) of the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS). RESULTS In age adjusted models married men and women had better physical capability than their unmarried counterparts. Much of the marriage advantage was explained by the greater wealth of married people. However, remarried men were found to have stronger grip strength and widowed and never married men had a slower walking speed than men in their first marriage, which was not explained by wealth, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health behaviours, chronic disease or depressive symptoms. There were no differences in the association between England and the USA. CONCLUSIONS Marriage may be an important factor in maintaining physical capability in both England and the USA, particularly because of the greater wealth which married people have accrued by the time they reach older ages. The grip strength advantage for remarried men may be due to unobserved selective factors into remarriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Wood
- CLOSER, UCL Institute of Education, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anne McMunn
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Webb
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Biotteau AL, Bonnet C, Cambois E. Risk of Major Depressive Episodes After Separation: The Gender-Specific Contribution of the Income and Support Lost Through Union Dissolution. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POPULATION-REVUE EUROPEENNE DE DEMOGRAPHIE 2018; 35:519-542. [PMID: 31372103 DOI: 10.1007/s10680-018-9488-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Marital status and union dissolution are strongly associated with health. Separated men and women have a mental health disadvantage compared to partnered individuals. The lower financial and social resources of separated individuals partly explained their poorer health. However, it is unclear whether this association is due to the loss in income and support precisely experienced through the separation. Due to the frequent asymmetry in partners' individual resources within couples, these losses are gender-specific, giving rise to a debate currently in France. As part of this debate, we explored to what extent gender-specific losses contribute to the separation/mental health association. We used the two-wave survey "Health and Occupational Trajectories," looking at 7321 individuals aged 25-74 in couple in 2006. We analyzed their depressive symptoms self-reported at second wave (2010) and their association with separation between the two waves; we took into account the concomitant social and income changes, as well as the socioeconomic and health situation in 2006. Separation between 2006 and 2010 is significantly associated with depressive symptoms in 2010, independently of the situation in 2006; it is associated with a loss of income, mainly in women, and a loss of support, slightly more pronounced in men. Nested logistic models indicate that the loss of support explained 5.5% of the separation/mental health association in men; the loss of income explained 19.2% of it in women. In France, an economic penalty of separation still primarily affects women and substantially contributes to the mental health vulnerability of newly separated women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Lise Biotteau
- 1Institut national d'études démographiques, 133 Bd Davout, 75980 Paris Cedex 20, France.,2Present Address: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE), Paris, France
| | - Carole Bonnet
- 1Institut national d'études démographiques, 133 Bd Davout, 75980 Paris Cedex 20, France
| | - Emmanuelle Cambois
- 1Institut national d'études démographiques, 133 Bd Davout, 75980 Paris Cedex 20, France
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12
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Kaneva M, Gerry CJ, Baidin V. The effect of chronic conditions and multi-morbidity on self-assessed health in Russia. Scand J Public Health 2018; 46:886-896. [PMID: 29380682 DOI: 10.1177/1403494817746283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Chronic disorders, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes, are the leading cause of mortality globally, representing 68% of all recorded deaths. The incidence of chronic disease and multiple chronic disease is rising across the world, but relatively little is known about the impact of multi-morbidities on the life experiences of those individuals who encounter them. In this paper, we examine and quantify the relationship between chronic illness, multi-morbidity and the individual self-assessed health of the Russian population using individual-level Russian data and a novel quantitative technique. METHODS We apply a partial proportional odds framework to a rich data set incorporating demographic, socio-economic and health indicators in Russia. RESULTS We find that individuals with chronic conditions report significantly lower levels of health than those without chronic conditions, but that the strength of the effect is much more pronounced for males than for females (e.g. neurological disease: odds ratio [OR]=4.81 for men; OR=1.86 for women)). As the number of co-morbidities increases, there is a dramatic decrease in the likelihood of reporting good health for both males and females, but for males there is a greater increase in the likelihood of reporting bad health (OR=49.31 for males with ≥5 diseases; OR=28.05 for females). CONCLUSIONS More than 40% of Russians currently live with multi-morbidity, and this group is at the highest risk of reporting poor self-rated health. This research adds to the body of evidence demonstrating the challenges facing health-care systems as new patterns of disease take hold in contemporary society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Kaneva
- 1 International Laboratory for Economics of Healthcare and Its Reforms, Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy, Russia.,2 Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
| | - Christopher J Gerry
- 3 International Centre for Health Economics, Management and Policy (CHEMP), National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Russia.,4 Institute for Social Analysis and Forecasting of The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (ISAF RANEPA), Russia.,5 University of Oxford, School of Interdisciplinary and Area Studies, St. Antony's College, UK
| | - Valerii Baidin
- 6 Center for Fiscal Policy, Financial Research Institute of the Ministry of Finance the Russian Federation, Russia
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Martins MV, Vassard D, Hougaard CØ, Schmidt L. The impact of ART on union dissolution: a register-based study in Denmark 1994–2010. Hum Reprod 2018; 33:434-440. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dey002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Veloso Martins
- University of Porto, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ditte Vassard
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, Øster Farimagsgade 5, PO Box 2099, DK-1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Ørsted Hougaard
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, Øster Farimagsgade 5, PO Box 2099, DK-1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Lone Schmidt
- University of Copenhagen, Department of Public Health, Section of Social Medicine, Øster Farimagsgade 5, PO Box 2099, DK-1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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Leopold T, Kalmijn M. Is Divorce More Painful When Couples Have Children? Evidence From Long-Term Panel Data on Multiple Domains of Well-being. Demography 2017; 53:1717-1742. [PMID: 27815739 PMCID: PMC5127958 DOI: 10.1007/s13524-016-0518-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Theoretical models of the divorce process suggest that marital breakup is more painful in the presence of children, yet little is known about the role of children as a moderator of divorce effects on adult well-being. The present study addresses this gap of research based on long-term panel data from Germany (SOEP). Following individuals over several years before and after divorce, we investigated whether the impact of divorce on multiple measures of well-being varied by the presence and age of children before marital breakup. Three central findings emerged from the analysis. First, declines in well-being were sharper in the presence of children, and these moderator effects were larger if children were younger. Second, domain-specific measures of well-being revealed gender differences in the moderating role of children. Mothers sustained deeper drops in economic well-being than did fathers; the reverse was true for family well-being. Third, most of these disproportionate declines in the well-being of divorced parents did not persist in the long term given that higher rates of adaptation leveled out the gaps compared with childless divorcees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Leopold
- Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018WV, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Matthijs Kalmijn
- Department of Sociology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018WV, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI), The Hague, Netherlands
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15
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Meyer JM, Percheski C. Health behaviors and union dissolution among parents of young children: Differences by marital status. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182628. [PMID: 28796826 PMCID: PMC5552162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research finds that marriage is associated with better health and lower mortality, and one of the mechanisms underlying this association is health-related selection out of marriage. Using longitudinal survey data from 2,348 couples from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we examine whether certain health behaviors-smoking and binge drinking-are associated with risk of union dissolution among couples with young children. We use discrete time hazard models to test whether associations between health behaviors and union dissolution differ between married and cohabiting parents. We find no statistically significant association between binge drinking and union dissolution for either cohabiting or married couples. Parental smoking, however, is associated with union dissolution. On average, married and cohabiting couples in which both parents smoke have a higher risk of union dissolution than couples in which neither parent smokes. Additionally, father's smoking (in couples in which the mother does not smoke) is associated with union dissolution, but only for married couples. These findings illustrate the importance of considering the health behaviors of both partners and provide further evidence of differences in union dissolution dynamics between married and cohabiting couples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jess M. Meyer
- Department of Sociology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL United States of America
| | - Christine Percheski
- Department of Sociology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL United States of America
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Monden CWS, Metsä-Simola N, Saarioja S, Martikainen P. Divorce and subsequent increase in uptake of antidepressant medication: a Finnish registry-based study on couple versus individual effects. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:158. [PMID: 25884431 PMCID: PMC4341230 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1508-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is an average negative mental health effect for individuals who experience divorce. Little is known whether the pattern of such divorce effects varies within couples. We study whether the husband and wife experience similar harmful effects of divorce, whether they experience opposite effects, or whether divorce effects are purely individual. Methods We use Finnish registry data to compare changes over a period of 5 years in antidepressant use of husbands and wives from 4,558 divorcing couples to 108,637 continuously married pairs aged 40–64, all of whom were healthy at baseline. Results In the period three years before and after divorce antidepressant use increases substantially. However, the likelihood of uptake of antidepressant medication during this process of divorce by one partner appears to be independent of medication uptake in the other partner. In contrast, among continuously married couples there is a clear pattern of convergence: If one partner starts to use antidepressants this increases the likelihood of uptake of antidepressant medication in the other partner. Conclusions Our findings suggest that divorce effects on antidepressant use are individual and show no pattern of either convergence or divergence at the level of the couple. The increased incidence of antidepressant use associated with divorce occurs in individuals independent of what happens to their ex-partner. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1508-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Saska Saarioja
- Population Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Pekka Martikainen
- Population Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Demey D, Berrington A, Evandrou M, Falkingham J. Living alone and psychological well-being in mid-life: does partnership history matter? J Epidemiol Community Health 2014; 68:403-10. [PMID: 24407595 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2013-202932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have found that the duration since a union dissolution and the number of union dissolutions are associated with psychological well-being. However, these two aspects of partnership history have rarely been considered jointly in models of mental health. This study aims to investigate how the time since the most recent union dissolution and the number of union dissolutions are related to two indicators of psychological well-being-life satisfaction and the General Health Questionnaire-among middle-aged solo-living British men and women. METHODS Data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study from 2009 to 2010 are analysed for 1201 50-64 year olds who were living alone and have ever been in a co-resident union (472 men and 729 women). Logistic regression analysis is used to investigate how life satisfaction and General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12) caseness are associated with partnership characteristics. RESULTS GHQ-12 caseness is significantly and positively associated with the number of union dissolutions and negatively with the duration since the most recent union dissolution. This is the case among both genders, in models in which these partnership characteristics are entered separately and jointly, and in models controlling for parenthood status, socioeconomic status and physical health. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that there is a short-term deterioration in mental health after a partnership break-up and that experiencing multiple union dissolutions is detrimental for psychological well-being. The association between partnership characteristics and the two measures of psychological well-being differs, which is in line with previous research showing that negative affect and life satisfaction are two separate constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dieter Demey
- ESRC Centre for Population Change, University of Southampton, , Southampton, UK
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