GENDER AND MENTAL ILLNESS

1
MARITAL STATUS AND MENTAL HEALTH
2
MARRIAGE AND DISTRESS

• BOTH MEN AND WOMEN BENEFIT
• MEN BENEFIT MORE
• SELECTION?

3
HOW TELL IF MARRIAGE BENEFITS?

• CANT 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

4
RUTGERS HHDP STUDY (HORWITZ AND WHITE)

• LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 1300 REPRESENTATIVE NEW
  JERSEY ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS
• FIVE SURVEYS IN 1980, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1998
• STARTED AT AGES 12, 15, AND 18
• NOW ARE AGES 36 - 42

5
MARRIAGE

• N.J. MARRY LATER THAN REST OF U.S. WOMEN 25 VS.
  23 MEN 27 VS. 25
• WOMEN MARRY EARLIER THAN MEN - 33 WOMEN 20
  MEN BY 24
• DO BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE STILL HOLD TODAY?

6
FINDINGS
7
FINDINGS

• MARRIED HAVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH THAN SINGLE
• LESS DEPRESSION FOR BOTH MARRIED MEN AND WOMEN
• MARRIED HAVE FAR FEWER ALC PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY
  WOMEN
• NOT SELECTION

8
FINDINGS (CONT.)

• IMPACT OF HAVING CHILDREN ON MENTAL HEALTH
• YOUNG CHILDREN RAISE DISTRESS, THEN NO DIFFERENCE

9
CONCLUSIONS

• MARRIAGE STILL GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH
• GOOD FOR BOTH SEXES
• NOT SELECTION
• MOST SUPPORT FOR TRADITIONAL VIEW

10
MARITAL DISSOLUTION
11
DIVORCE

• ABOUT HALF OF ALL MARRIAGES END IN DIVORCE
• HUGE INCREASE IN 1960S AND 1970S STABLE SINCE
  1980

12
MARITAL DISSOLUTION

• SEP/DIV HAVE HIGHEST RATE OF ALL MENTAL
  DISORDERS, SUICIDE, ALCOHOL AND DRUG PROBLEMS,
  MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
• SEPARATION MORE DISTRESSING THAN DIVORCE
• DIVORCE OFTEN STRESS RELIEF
• MOST FINE AFTER TWO YEARS

13
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

14
SELECTION

• DOES DISSOLUTION LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS -
  CAUSATION
• OR DOES SELECTION OF WORST MENTAL HEALTH LEAD TO
  DISSOLUTION?

15
RUTGERS HHDP STUDY

• 592 PEOPLE WHO MARRIED AT EARLIER TIME
• COMPARES 127 SEPARATED OR DIVORCED TO 465 MARRIED
  AT LATER TIME

16
IMPACT OF DIVORCE
17
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

18
CONCLUSIONS

• MARITAL DISSOLUTION VERY BAD FOR MENTAL HEALTH
• WORSE THAN STAYING IN BAD MARRIAGE??

19
CONCLUSIONS

• MENTALLY HEALTHY TO GET AND STAY MARRIED FOR BOTH
  SEXES
• MARITAL DISSOLUTION ESPECIALLY BAD FOR BOTH SEXES
• IMPLICATIONS BAD - MORE PEOPLE REMAINING
  UNMARRIED, MARRY LATER, GET DIVORCED