Abstract
Marital dissolution is commonly assumed to cause increased depression among adults, but causality can be questioned based on directionality and third-variable concerns. The present study improves on past research by using a propensity score matching algorithm to identify a subsample of continuously married participants equivalent in divorce risk to participants who actually experienced separation/divorce between two waves of the nationally representative Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study. After correcting for participants' propensity to separate/divorce, we observed increased rates of depression at the second MIDUS assessment only among participants who (a) were depressed at the initial MIDUS assessment and (b) experienced a separation/divorce. Participants who were not depressed at the initial assessment but who experienced a separation/divorce were not at increased risk for a later major depressive disorder. Thus, both social selection and social causation contribute to the increased risk for a major depressive disorder found among separated/divorced adults.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 249-257 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Clinical Psychological Science |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2014 |
Keywords
- Divorce
- Major depression
- Marital separation
- Marital status
- Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS)
- Prospective studies
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology