Divorce makes life hell for men: study

Divorced men have higher rates of mortality, substance abuse, depression, and lack of social support, a new study has revealed.

Authors Daniel S. Felix, PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, W. David Robinson, PhD, Utah State University, Logan, and Kimberly J. Jarzynka, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha demonstrate an urgent need to recognize and treat men's divorce-related health problems in a provocative case study and review of the literature entitled 'The Influence of Divorce on Men's Health.'

Divorce has been associated with a variety of psychological and behavioral disorders.

For the specific case of the divorced 45-year-old man described in this case study and review, the authors recommend how to evaluate his complaints and plan a course of treatment based on current clinical guidelines.

Ridwan Shabsigh, MD, President of the International Society of Men's Health (ISMH), said that popular perception, and many cultures as well as the media present men as tough, resilient, and less vulnerable to psychological trauma than women.

He said that the fact is that men get affected substantially by psychological trauma and negative life events like divorce, bankruptcy, war, and bereavement.

The study has been published in the Journal of Men's Health.