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Facts About Marital Distress and Divorce
By Dr Scott M Stanley & Dr Howard J Markman
The facts
- Younger people in the U.S. who are marrying
for the first time face roughly a 40-50% chance
of divorcing in their lifetime under current
trends (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992, p.
5).
- Of first marriages that end in divorce, many
end in the first 3 to 5 years. (As one
example, for first marriages ending in divorce
among women aged 25 to 29, the median length of
marriage before divorce in 1990 was 3.4 years;
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992, p. 4).
- Adults and children are at increased risk for
mental and physical problems due to marital
distress (e.g., Cherlin & Furstenberg,
1994; Coie et al. 1993; Coyne, Kahn, &
Gotlib, 1987; Cowan & Cowan, 1992; Fincham,
Grych, & Osborne, 1993).
- Mismanaged conflict and negative interaction
in marriage predict both marital distress and
negative effects for children (e.g., Gottman,
1994; Markman & Hahlweg, 1993; Clements,
Stanley, & Markman, 1997; Cowan & Cowan,
1992; and Grych & Fincham, 1990).
- Marital problems are associated with decreased
work productivity, especially for men (e.g.,
Forthofer, Markman, Cox, Stanley, & Kessler,
1996).
- A variety of studies suggest that the seeds of
marital distress and divorce are there for many
couples when they say, "I Do." These
studies show that premarital (or early marital)
variables can differentiate between couples who
will do well and those who will not do well with
80% up to 94% accuracy (e.g., Clements,
Stanley, & Markman, 1997; Fowers, Montel,
& Olson, 1996; Gottman, 1994; Karney &
Bradbury, 1995; Kelly & Conley, 1987; and
Rogge & Bradbury, in press).
- Many more couples live together prior to
marriage than in the past--recent estimates are
in the range of 60+% (Stanley & Markman,
1997; Bumpass & Sweet, 1991). These couples
are less likely to stay married, probably mostly
due to the fact that they are less conservative
about marriage and divorce in the first place.
- Money is the one thing that people say they
argue about most in marriage, followed by
children (Stanley & Markman, 1997). But,
there is a lot of reason to believe that what
couples argue about is not as important as how
they argue (Markman, Stanley, & Blumberg,
1994).
- Married men and women in all age groups are
less likely to be limited in activity (a general
health index) due to illness than single,
separated, divorced, or widowed individuals (National
Center for Health Statistics, 1997).
- Children living with a single parent or adult
report a higher prevalence of activity limitation
and higher rates of disability. They are also
more likely to be in fair or poor health and more
likely to have been hospitalized (National
Center for Health Statistics, 1997).
- The "triple threat" of marital
conflict, divorce, and out-of-wedlock births has
led to a generation of U.S. children at great
risk for poverty, health problems, alienation,
and antisocial behavior.
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