The Effect on Health of Marital and Cohabitation Status

Abstract

Researches on the consequences of divorce on health are scarce in Spain. This study is a contribution to this field from sociology and demography. In it, the health of separated/divorced Spanish men and women is analyzed using the European Health Survey 2009-2010. Employing questions on perceived health and objective mental health, we explore whether 1) people with divorced or separated marital status suffer from poorer health than married; if 2) the cohabitation with a partner promotes a better health; and if 3) gender is a source of health differences between divorcees. The results show that the health of female divorcees is worse and that male divorcees have higher risk for chronic depression than other men. In addition, the female divorcees are much more likely to suffer chronic anxiety and chronic depression