A recent research study investigating the use of antidepressants has found that women may face greater challenges with their mental health compared to men during a divorce or separation in later life.
Conducted by the University of Helsinki and published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, the study delves into the patterns of antidepressant use among men and women in the context of various separations, including death, divorce, or non-marital separation.
The researchers discovered notable disparities, observing that women experienced more significant increases in antidepressant use preceding a divorce or break-up. Furthermore, women exhibited fewer reductions in antidepressant use after entering into new relationships compared to men.
Niina Metsä-Simola, a lecturer at the University of Helsinki and co-first author of the study, commented on the findings, stating, “Our findings suggest that the adverse mental health effects of divorce fall more heavily on women, whereas the beneficial mental health effects of re-partnering are weaker among them.”
One possible explanation offered by Metsä-Simola is that women might be more inclined to seek help for mental health issues, leading to a higher frequency of antidepressant use compared to men.
The research, which analyzed data from over 220,000 permanent Finnish residents between 1996 and 2018, focused on individuals aged 50 to 70 who experienced the end of a relationship due to various factors. The study encompassed separations due to the loss of a partner, divorce, or non-marital separation between 2000 and 2014.
Notably, those who lost a partner were generally older, while individuals who separated from a non-marital partner were more likely to enter new relationships. Those who experienced divorce tended to enter new relationships more frequently than those who were bereaved.
The study addressed the increasing prevalence of finding new relationships later in life as the population ages. Over the four years leading up to the end of a relationship, antidepressant use increased for both genders, with an accelerated rise following death, divorce, or break-up, resulting in a 3 to 7 per cent increase in antidepressant use for those over 50.
Metsä-Simola acknowledged the economic impact of divorce on women, stating, “Divorce is assumed to have a greater economic impact on women than men,” and mentioned that the study attempted to consider changes in income and home ownership.
However, the study acknowledged its limitations, such as not examining the number or duration of people’s relationships. The findings align with previous research highlighting the social outcomes after divorce and the disproportionate economic losses women may face.
Additionally, the researchers proposed that the impact of separations on women’s mental health could be attributed to the differing ways men and women seek emotional support and manage relationships within new blended families, possibly contributing to psychological strain for women.
