A multinational study of mental disorders, marriage, and divorce

Abstract

Objective Estimate predictive associations of mental disorders with marriage and divorce in a cross-national sample. Method Population surveys of mental disorders included assessment of age at first marriage in 19 countries (n = 46 128) and age at first divorce in a subset of 12 countries (n = 30 729). Associations between mental disorders and subsequent marriage and divorce were estimated in discrete time survival models. Results Fourteen of 18 premarital mental disorders are associated with lower likelihood of ever marrying (odds ratios ranging from 0.6 to 0.9), but these associations vary across ages of marriage. Associations between premarital mental disorders and marriage are generally null for early marriage (age 17 or younger), but negative associations come to predominate at later ages. All 18 mental disorders are positively associated with divorce (odds ratios ranging from 1.2 to 1.8). Three disorders, specific phobia, major depression, and alcohol abuse, are associated with the largest population attributable risk proportions for both marriage and divorce. Conclusion This evidence adds to research demonstrating adverse effects of mental disorders on life course altering events across a diverse range of socioeconomic and cultural settings. These effects should be included in considerations of public health investments in preventing and treating mental disorders.

The combined effects of parental divorce and parental history of depression on cannabis use in young adults in France

“…Parental divorce has been consistently shown in several studies to contribute to depression (Breslau et al, 2011;Bruce and Kim, 1992) and poor psychological well-being for divorced couples (Booth and Amato, 1991). Offspring of depressed parents are also more likely to experience depression themselves (Beardslee et al, 1998;Leib et al, 2002;Peisah et al, 2004;Skeer et al, 2009), which has been shown as a risk factor for using illegal drug use, including cannabis (Liang et al, 2010).…”

The Correlation Between Psychiatric Disorders and Women’s Lives

“…A study which was done in Turkey reported that female patients with major psychiatric disorders lacked the necessary parenting skills to various extents and that they tended to rely on their close relatives and institutions for childrearing. This was significantly higher in the schizophrenic and the bipolar groups as compared to that in the control and depressive groups [13]. It is actually known that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder result in a loss of empathy, a difficulty in understanding and expressing feelings and in a lack of impulse control and cognitive functions, which are necessary skills for parenting [22].…”

“…In their study, Dilbaz et al, reported that the percentage of marriages for schizophrenic women was less and that 86.7% of the patients were single, particularly those with an early onset of schizophrenia [12]. In her study, Pehlivan presented that in the major psychiatric disorders -particularly in schizophrenia-the rate of being single/ divorced/ separated was frequently high as compared to that in the normal population [13]. Similarly, Breslau et al reported that mental disorders were positively associated with divorce [14].…”

“…Here, the relationship between the number of parities in the bipolar group, their increased sexuality in the manic-hypomanic period, their unwillingness in schizophrenia, and depression and the side effects of the medicines should be investigated [13,17,22].…”

Does conurbation affect the risk of poor mental health? A population based record linkage study

“…33 34 Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain why people living in urban areas should have 35 higher levels of poor mental health: psychosocial stressors; concentrated disadvantage and; 36 selective migration (Berry, 2007). According to the psychosocial stressors theory, residents in more 37 urbanised areas have poorer mental health because they are exposed to a greater level of individual 38 stress including material disadvantage, unemployment and marital breakdown; all of which are 39 known to be associated with poor mental health (Backhans and Hemmingsson, 2012;Boyle et al, 40 2008;Breslau et al, 2011). The concentrated disadvantage theory posits that the density of urban 41 populations concentrates insults such as area disadvantage, social fragmentation and crime and 42 disorder, intensifying their effects and inflating pressures on mental health (Berry, 2007).…”