Marital Dissolution and Mental Health: A Study of Divorcing Women in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Couples

Elina Einiö , University of Helsinki

Several studies from Nordic countries have shown that women in same-sex couples are more likely to experience divorce than their peers in different-sex marriages. Nevertheless, surprisingly limited evidence is available on changes in the wellbeing of women before and after divorce, based on whether they were married to men or women. Such findings could enhance our understanding of the intersections of family and gender norms and how they influence wellbeing over the life course. Using population-based data of divorcing women of same-sex and different-sex couples, the present study assessed changes in women’s mental health—as measured by using antidepressants—for three years before and after divorce. The study employed longitudinal data for Finland and repeated-measures logistic regression analyses. Three years before divorce, the annual prevalence of using antidepressants was higher for divorcing women in same-sex couples than for divorcing women in different-sex couples. Both groups of women experienced elevated levels of antidepressant use in the year before divorce and in the year of divorce. The increase associated with divorce appeared somewhat larger for women in same-sex couples. The differences were relatively small, however. The results align with prior qualitative studies, indicating that women who divorce women may have more mental health problems associated with divorce, given that their grief may be less recognized and supported.

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 Presented in Session P1. Families, Fertility, and the Life Course 1