After separation or divorce, preserve health coverage and avoid relying on alcohol
Separated or divorced adults had higher premature mortality than married adults in pooled studies, particularly men and younger people. This does not prove divorce caused the difference: health and income may already differ. Practical steps include maintaining health insurance and appropriate medical follow-up and avoiding tobacco or alcohol as coping strategies.
What it takes
Keeping existing coverage may require its usual contributions; organizing continuity costs nothing. Alcohol can be tempting during this period.
What you may gain
A meta-analysis of 32 prospective studies covered more than 6.5 million people, 160,000 deaths, over 755,000 divorces, and 11 countries. Separated or divorced adults had significantly higher early mortality than married adults, with stronger associations in men and younger adults. The authors discussed four pathways: selection of people with different baseline health or circumstances into divorce; loss of resources such as income and coverage; changes in health behaviors; and chronic psychological stress.
Context & considerations
The source material available to the book described a significant increase and subgroup differences without a numerical estimate it could directly quote, so no multiplier is supplied here. The benefit is rated medium because the direction is known but there is no intervention effect to apply to the book's thresholds. For property, debts, and bride-price disputes, see chapter 8 and chapter 10; for children's care, chapter 18.
Research & references
Sbarra DA et al. (2011). Divorce and Death: A Meta-Analysis and Research Agenda for Clinical, Social, and Health Psychology. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611414724