Divorce and Mental Health: Is Late Divorce Particularly Harmful for Women with Low Earnings?

Stefania Molina (), Enrique Alonso-Perez and Michaela Kreyenfeld
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Stefania Molina: Hertie School
Enrique Alonso-Perez: Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation Science
Michaela Kreyenfeld: Hertie School

Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, 2025, vol. 180, issue 3, No 15, 1679 pages

Abstract: Abstract This paper examines the relationship between divorce and mental health, with a focus on how this association is stratified by sex, age, and individual income. In particular, we test the hypothesis that divorce at advanced ages (50–59) is particularly harmful for women with insufficient personal earnings. Data is drawn from German register data, which includes marital histories of divorcees and diagnosed health outcomes. The analytical sample includes persons aged 30–59 in 2015 (n = 23,426,639). The outcome is the annual incidence of mental disease diagnosis which is examined from an intersectional approach by drawing on MAIHDA (Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy). Our findings indicate that women are at a higher risk of receiving a mental health diagnosis than men. Divorce significantly amplifies this risk. Additionally, low income poses a heightened risk for both women and men, particularly when divorce occurs at advanced ages.

Keywords: Divorce; Health inequalities; Intersectionality; MAIHDA; Mental health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11205-025-03721-8

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