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AL-shahrani HF, Hammad MA. Impact of emotional divorce on the mental health of married women in Saudi Arabia. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293285. [PMID: 37948408 PMCID: PMC10637691 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional divorce occurs when physical, psychological, mental, and spiritual separation occurs between spouses despite the fact that they live in the same house and exercise their marital duties. Emotional divorce has adverse effects on the mental health of those involved, as evidenced by the higher incidence of depression, anxiety, and loneliness among such couples. Saudi women are particularly vulnerable to emotional divorce owing to social, legal, economic, and cultural factors. Therefore, it is important to examine the relationship between emotional divorce and mental health issues (depression, anxiety, and loneliness) in married women in Saudi Arabia. Using scales that assess emotional divorce, depression, anxiety, and loneliness, data were collected from 241 married Saudi women (Mage = 34.41 years; SDage = 5.23 years). Findings revealed a statistically significant correlation between emotional divorce, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. One-way ANOVA confirmed that those with high levels of emotional divorce concurrently scores higher on the depression, anxiety, and loneliness tools, followed by those with moderate and low emotional divorce scores, respectively. Linear regression analysis indicated that depression, anxiety, and loneliness were strong predictors of emotional divorce, explaining 61% of the variance in the emotional divorce scores in this sample. These findings highlight the need to focus on the mental health outcomes of individuals experiencing emotional divorce, especially in societies where legal divorce may not be acceptable or encouraged. The need for regular evaluation and timely interventions for individuals struggling with mental health problems, and for restoring a healthy marital relationship is also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hend Faye AL-shahrani
- Social Planning Department, Faculty of Social Services, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Ahmed Hammad
- Mohammad Ahmed Hammad, Faculty of Education, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
- Assiut University, Assiut Governorate, Egypt
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Kim A, Jeon S, Song J. Self-Stigma and Mental Health in Divorced Single-Parent Women: Mediating Effect of Self-Esteem. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:744. [PMID: 37754022 PMCID: PMC10525459 DOI: 10.3390/bs13090744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have addressed the issue of "self-stigma" among divorced single-parent women. However, there is a scarcity of quantitative data available on this subject. Moreover, while self-esteem is a crucial factor throughout life, it has been extensively studied in the context of "children" from single-parent families, but not from the perspective of parents themselves. To address this gap, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between self-stigma, self-esteem, and mental health in 347 divorced, single-parent women. The online survey recruited participants randomly, with a specific focus on single mothers who were divorced and had more than one child under the age of 18. The analysis involved utilizing SPSS 25.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA) and PROCESS Macro Version 4.1 (Model 4) to conduct descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, reliability assessment, correlation analysis, and mediating analysis. The findings revealed that self-esteem played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-stigma and mental health. In other words, higher levels of self-stigma among divorced, single-parent women were associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Additionally, the study discovered that engaging in more self-stigma was linked to lower self-esteem and increased mental health distress. These results underscore the significance of internal factors, such as self-stigma and self-esteem, and highlight their relevance in formulating policies aimed at supporting divorced single-parent women. Policymakers should take these factors into account to develop effective strategies to aid this specific group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kim
- Ulsan Public Agency for Welfare Family Promotion Social Service, Ulsan 44717, Republic of Korea;
| | - Sesong Jeon
- Major in Child & Family Studies, School of Child Studies, College of Human Ecology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea;
| | - Jina Song
- Major in Child & Family Studies, School of Child Studies, College of Human Ecology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea;
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Wang F, Lu J, Lin L, Cai J, Xu J, Zhou X. Impact of parental divorce versus separation due to migration on mental health and self-injury of Chinese children: a cross sectional survey. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2021; 15:71. [PMID: 34836541 PMCID: PMC8626960 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-021-00424-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been an increasing prevalence of parental separation in China due to divorce or migration for work in recent decades. However, few studies have compared the impacts of these two types of separation on children's mental health. This study aimed to investigate how parental divorce and parental migration impact children's mental health and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB), while considering positive factors, including parent-adolescent communication and psychological resilience. METHODS We randomly recruited participants in grades 5-8 from 18 schools in 2 counties in Anhui Province. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted to measure children's mental health, SITB, parent-adolescent communication, psychological resilience, and socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS Data from 1026 children with both parents migrating (BLBC), 1322 children with one parent migrating (SLBC), 475 children living in a divorced family (DC) and 1160 children with non-migrating parents (NLBC) were included. Regression model results showed that, compared to the other three groups (BLBC, SLBC, NLBC), DC exhibited higher internalizing problems (p < 0.05), higher externalizing problems (p < 0.01), less prosocial behaviors (p < 0.05), and higher rates of suicidal ideation (SI) (p < 0.05) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors (p < 0.05) when adjusting for social-demographic variables. However, when further adjusting for parent-adolescent communication and psychological resilience, DC no longer had higher levels of internalizing problems, externalizing problems, NSSI and SI than left-behind groups (BLBC, SLBC). CONCLUSIONS The experience of separation from divorced parents had stronger negative effects on the mental health of children than was observed in LBC. The Chinese government should design special policy frameworks that provide support to DC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Wang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XThe Institute of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang People’s Republic of China
| | - Jingjing Lu
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XThe Institute of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang People’s Republic of China
| | - Leesa Lin
- grid.8991.90000 0004 0425 469XDepartment of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Kings Cross, London, UK
| | - Jingjing Cai
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XThe Institute of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiayao Xu
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XThe Institute of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang People’s Republic of China
| | - Xudong Zhou
- The Institute of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
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Lichtenstein B, Lucke J, Loxton D. Women and divorce: financial coping from midlife to older age. J Women Aging 2021; 34:323-340. [PMID: 34181507 DOI: 10.1080/08952841.2021.1935552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Divorce is a life-changing event with financial implications for women. Although large-scale studies have examined the factors associated with financial coping after divorce, little attention has been paid to the lived experience of women over time. In this study, we used mixed methods to examine the financial well-being of divorced women over 20 years from 1996 to 2016. Using data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health [ALSWH], we analyzed women's ratings of their ability to manage on available income, and their narrative comments about financial coping over eight waves, beginning in midlife (ages 46-51). The ratings improved over time, particularly as women reached peak career in their 50s or 60s or entered retirement. Despite this upward trajectory, financial strain persisted for ~40% of the cohort who faced poor health or diminishing job prospects. We conclude that, although financial hardship often eases over time, women's early ratings of financial coping predict levels of income security in older age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronwen Lichtenstein
- Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Jayne Lucke
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
| | - Deborah Loxton
- Research Centre for Generational Health and Ageing, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia
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Batidzirai JM, Manda SOM, Mwambi HG, Tanser F. Discrete Survival Time Constructions for Studying Marital Formation and Dissolution in Rural South Africa. Front Psychol 2020; 11:154. [PMID: 32132944 PMCID: PMC7040195 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Marriage formation and dissolution are important life-course events which impact psychological well-being and health of adults and children experiencing the events. Family studies have usually concentrated on analyzing single transitions including Never Married to Married and Married to Divorced. This does not allow understanding and interrogation of dynamics of these life changing events and their effects on individuals and their families. The objective of this study was to assess determinants associated with transitions between and within marital states in South Africa. Methods: The population-based data available for this study consists of over 55, 000 subjects representing over 340, 000 person-years exposure from the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was collected from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2016. Multilevel multinomial, binary and competing risks regression models were used to model marital state occupation, transitions between marital states as well as investigate determinants of marital dissolution, respectively. Results: Between the years 2006 and 2007, a subject was more likely to be married than never married when compared to years 2004 − 2005. After 2007, subjects were less likely to be married than never married and the trend reduced over the years up to 2016 [with OR=0.86, CI=(0.78; 0.94), OR=0.71, CI=(0.64; 0.78), OR=0.60, CI=(0.54; 0.67), OR=0.50, CI=(0.44; 0.56), and OR = 0.43, CI = (0.38; 0.48)] for periods 2008 − 2009, 2010 − 2011, 2012 − 2013, 2014 − 2015, and 2016, respectively. In 2008 − 2009, subjects were more likely to experience a marital dissolution than in the period 2004 − 2005 and the trend slightly reduces from 2010 until 2013 [OR=24.49, CI=(5.53; 108.37)]. Raising age at first sexual debut was found to be inversely associated with a marital dissolution [OR = 0.97;CI = (0.95; 0.99)]. Highly educated subjects were more likely to stay in one marital state than those who never went to school [OR=6.43, CI=(4.89; 8.47), OR=18.86, CI=(1.14; 53.31), and OR=2.96, CI=(1.96; 4.46) for being married, separated and widowed, respectively, among subjects with tertiary education]. As the age at first marriage increased, subjects became less likely to experience a marital separation [OR = 0.06, CI = (0.00; 1.11), OR = 0.05, CI = (0.00; 0.91), and OR = 0.04, CI = (0.00; 0.76) for subjects who entered a first marriage at ages 18 − 22, 23 − 29, and 30 − 40, respectively]. Conclusion: The study found that marrying at later ages is associated with a lower rate of marital dissolution while more educated subjects tend to stay longer in one marital state. Sexual debut at later ages was associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing a marital dissolution. There could, however, be some factors that are not accounted for in the model that may lead to heterogeneity in these dynamics in our model specification which are captured by the random effects in the model. Nonetheless, we may postulate that existing programs that encourage delay in onset of sexual activity for HIV risk reduction for example, may also have a positive impact on lowering rates of marital dissolution, thus ultimately improving psychological and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesca M Batidzirai
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Samuel O M Manda
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.,Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa.,Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Henry G Mwambi
- School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Frank Tanser
- Africa Health Research Institute, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.,Lincoln Institute for Health, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, United Kingdom.,School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Auersperg F, Vlasak T, Ponocny I, Barth A. Long-term effects of parental divorce on mental health - A meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res 2019; 119:107-115. [PMID: 31622869 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to estimate the long-term effects of parental divorce on their offspring's mental health as well as substance-based addiction. We performed a systematic literature search on PubMed, Medline, PsyINFO, PsyARTICLES and PsycNET for the time period from 1990 until March 2018 in English language. In total 54 studies were included in the meta-analysis resulting in 117 effect sizes as well as a total sample of 506,299 participants. A significant association between parental divorce and every aspect of mental health was found with the following pooled ORs (95% CIs): Depression 1.29 (1.23-1.35), anxiety 1.12 (1.04-1.12), suicide attempt 1.35 (1.26-1.44), suicidal ideation 1.48 (1.43-1.54), distress 1.48 (1.37-1.6), alcohol 1.43 (1.34-1.53), smoking 1.64 (1.57-1.72) and drugs 1.45 (1.44-1.46) could be estimated. There was significant association between the effect sizes and the publication date specifically for distress (r = -0.995, p = .005). The results of the meta-analysis show a consistent direction of influence regarding the long-term effect of parental divorce on their children. Individuals affected by parental divorce have a higher risk of developing a variety of mental health conditions, although the effect sizes decreased from 1990 to 2017. Further research should focus on developing programmes to promote the resilience of children affected by divorce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicitas Auersperg
- Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, 1020, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Thomas Vlasak
- Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University Linz, 4020, Linz, Austria.
| | - Ivo Ponocny
- Department for Sustainability, Governance, and Methods, MODUL University Vienna, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Alfred Barth
- Head of the Department of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University Linz, 4020, Linz, Austria.
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Ammari T, Schoenebeck S, Romero D. Self-declared Throwaway Accounts on Reddit. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1145/3359237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Marotta SA, Ladin K. Marital privilege: Bias against divorced patients in medical decision-making. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1368430219843997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Social support consists of the emotional, informational, and instrumental resources we receive from others, and buffers against negative health outcomes. However, as an eligibility criterion for scarce medical resources, such as organ transplants, it can be vague, subjective, and vulnerable to bias. In three studies, we examine bias associated with marital status, and assess whether those with nonspousal relationships with their caregivers (e.g., divorcees) and those without documented primary caregivers experience bias in transplant listing evaluations. We found evidence of bias against those with nonspousal relationships with their caregivers. Divorced patients were perceived as having less durable and adequate social support than those who were married to their caregivers. Divorced patients were also perceived as less deserving of a transplant and were less likely to be recommended for transplant wait-listing. Recommendations for avoiding bias in social support evaluations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satia A. Marotta
- Research on Ethics, Aging, and Community Health Lab, Department of Occupational Therapy, Tufts University, USA
| | - Keren Ladin
- Research on Ethics, Aging, and Community Health Lab, Department of Occupational Therapy, Tufts University, USA
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Adikaram AS. ‘An opportunity for other men and a threat to other women’: workplace harassment at the intersection of marital status and gender in Sri Lanka. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/13678868.2017.1413877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arosha S. Adikaram
- Faculty of Management and Finance, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
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