Divorce is 6% more likely when the wife becomes seriously ill, compared to marriages in which the wife remains healthy.
A recent study by researchers at Iowa State University looked at the divorce rate for couples when one spouse had been diagnosed with a serious illness (cancer, heart disease, lung disease and stroke).
According to the results, the 32% of marriages ends in divorce, compared to 24%, who ended in widowhood. The people studied had to have been married for at least 20 years, and one of the spouses had to be at least 51 years old.
Divorce was more common among younger participants. The researchers found that the odds of widowhood increased by 5% when husbands became ill and 4% when wives became ill.
There are a few reasons why illness can add stress to a marriage. First, the healthy spouse is often the primary caregiver and may have to assume sole responsibility for managing the home.
The quality of care may be another factor. In general, wives seem less satisfied with their husbands’ care, and men – especially older ones – have not been socialized to be caregivers in the same way as women.
The research shows the state of vulnerability in which people who have serious illnesses such as those described above find themselves, since in addition to the illness itself there is a high risk of depression, the frequent reduction of contacts and supportive social relationships, and now also at risk of divorce, which in turn can further endanger their health.
SOURCE: Karraker, a., & Latham, K. (2015). In Sickness and in Health? Physical Illness as a Risk Factor for Marital Dissolution in Later Life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 56, 59–73.
