“In sickness and in health.” Is it a lifetime binding promise or an out-of-fashion phrase for marriage?
Older adults are divorcing at increasingly higher rates these days, and it could have to do with illness – depending on who is getting sick. A new study suggests that health plays a factor, but gender roles might be the linchpin behind it all.
A study by Italian researchers published in the Journal of Marriage and Family considered the relationship between health and the divorce rates in older adults.
The study used 18 years of data – ranging from 2004 to 2022 – from 25,542 European heterosexual couples aged 50 to 64.
It showed some eye-opening results. When the wives in marriages between older adults became ill or suffered some kind of physical limitation, the divorce rates began to rise.
