Divorce results in long term health damage
Going through a divorce can have permanent detrimental affects on health, reports the BBC.
A study in Chicago of over 8,000 people aged between 51 and 61 showed those who had been divorced had 20% more chronic illnesses than those who had never been married. Whilst those that go on to re marry suffer less from depression than those who never marry, there is little relief for long term health problems, with the percentage suffering from chronic illnesses only dropping to 12%.
Dr Linda Waite who worked on the study said: Some health situations, like depression, seem to respond both quickly and strongly to changes in current conditions.
“In contrast, conditions such as diabetes and heart disease develop slowly over a substantial period and show the impact of past experiences, which is why health is undermined by divorce or widowhood, even when a person remarries.”