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Longevity following the experience of parental divorce.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Martin, LR; Friedman, HS; Clark, KM; Tucker, JS
Published in: Social science & medicine
November 2005

An archival prospective design was used to study mediating and moderating variables for the association between parental divorce and increased mortality risk, using a sub-group (n = 1183) of individuals from the US Terman Life Cycle Study covering the period 1921-2000. In childhood, both socioeconomic status (SES) and family psychosocial environment were related to parental divorce but did little to explain its effects. The higher mortality risk associated with experiencing parental divorce was ameliorated among individuals (especially men) who achieved a sense of personal satisfaction by mid-life. Behaviorally, smoking was the strongest mediator of the divorce-mortality link. This study extends previous work on the long-term effects of parental divorce and reveals some reasons why the stress of parental divorce in childhood need not necessarily lead to negative later-life outcomes.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Social science & medicine

ISSN

0277-9536

Publication Date

November 2005

Volume

61

Issue

10

Start / End Page

2177 / 2189

Location

ENGLAND

Related Subject Headings

  • Public Health
  • 16 Studies in Human Society
  • 14 Economics
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences
 

Citation

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Martin, L. R., Friedman, H. S., Clark, K. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2005). Longevity following the experience of parental divorce. Social Science & Medicine, 61(10), 2177–2189.
Martin, L. R., H. S. Friedman, K. M. Clark, and J. S. Tucker. “Longevity following the experience of parental divorce.Social Science & Medicine 61, no. 10 (November 2005): 2177–89.
Martin LR, Friedman HS, Clark KM, Tucker JS. Longevity following the experience of parental divorce. Social science & medicine. 2005 Nov;61(10):2177–89.
Martin, L. R., et al. “Longevity following the experience of parental divorce.Social Science & Medicine, vol. 61, no. 10, Nov. 2005, pp. 2177–89.
Martin LR, Friedman HS, Clark KM, Tucker JS. Longevity following the experience of parental divorce. Social science & medicine. 2005 Nov;61(10):2177–2189.
Journal cover image

Published In

Social science & medicine

ISSN

0277-9536

Publication Date

November 2005

Volume

61

Issue

10

Start / End Page

2177 / 2189

Location

ENGLAND

Related Subject Headings

  • Public Health
  • 16 Studies in Human Society
  • 14 Economics
  • 11 Medical and Health Sciences