In sickness and in health.
A new study from the University of Michigan shows that the possibility of divorce is more likely to rise when married women – rather than men – come down with a chronic illness.
“Married women diagnosed with a serious health condition may find themselves struggling with the impact of their disease while also experiencing the stress of divorce,” Amelia Karraker, a researcher at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, said in a statement.
Researchers came to that disheartening conclusion after pouring over 20 years of data on 2,717 marriages from the Health and Retirement Study. The new study focused on how four life-threatening illnesses – cancer, heart problems, lung disease and stroke – impacted marriage for those age 51 to 61.
Overall, researchers found that 31 percent of marriages involving an ill spouse ended in divorce.
Not only is divorce more common when women get sick, but ladies are also more likely to watch their husbands die first of a serious illness.
“We found that women are doubly vulnerable to marital dissolution in the face of illness,” said Karraker, who is presenting their findings on Thursday at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America. “They are more likely to be widowed, and if they are the ones who become ill, they are more likely to get divorced.”
Researchers aren’t sure why this is the case just yet, but they have a couple of hunches. One reason may be that men feel less comfortable taking on the role of caregiver because of gender norms. Another possibility is that women might prefer being looked after by friends and family members if their partner isn’t up to the task.
“We did not have information on who initiated divorce in this study. But it’s important to keep in mind that in most cases, it’s women who do so,” Karraker said.
Regardless of gender, tying the knot does come with one health benefit: a longer life. Several studies show that married people are in general healthier than bachelors.