Divorce can bring significant changes in the lives of those involved, not only emotionally but also physically. Women, in particular, are affected more due to cultural and societal factors.

Women commonly face challenges, including financial distress, putting pressure on their health due to divorce. The consequences of divorce on women’s health and longevity are serious issues that need to be addressed.

Emotional Distress

Divorce is the most traumatic life event, leading to mental distress and emotional instability. Depression, anxiety, and stress are common emotional responses triggered by a traumatic experience caused by a divorce.

The emotional challenges lead to physical issues and could threaten women’s health and length of life.

Physical Health Problems

Divorce causes significant stress that may lead to physical health problems. Research reveals that women, but not men, have increased levels of stress hormones such as cortisol after divorce.

Typically, cortisol is produced by the body when stressed, and stress levels have been linked with increased blood pressure and heart disease. Elevated depression and anxiety rates after divorce can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and arthritis in women.

Financial Difficulties

Household income usually drops after divorce, leading to limited access to healthcare, reduced diet quality, and less affordability of necessary medication for any illness.

Access to health resources is also limited, leading to an increase in medical bills and the emergence of health issues. Due to these difficulties, women may face higher morbidity rates and lower life expectancy.

Child Care Challenges

Most of the time, mothers are the primary caregivers for children. After divorce, child custody is awarded, resulting in the added responsibility of raising children alone.

In addition to this, single parenting often results in higher levels of stress, lack of time to engage in personal care, and low levels of emotional support. All of these factors can contribute to poor health and reduced life expectancy.

Living Arrangements

After divorce, women may experience a shift in living situations, which can significantly impact their health and wellbeing. They may have to move to a new neighborhood, change schools, and even find a new job.

The change of a living arrangement and a sudden shift in a support network may lead to increased stress levels, impacting physical and emotional health.

Social Isolation

Divorce may result in social isolation, leading to anxiety, depression, and less physical engagement, contributing to several health issues.

Social contacts and support have a positive impact on the physical and psychological well-being of a person, and a lack of social support may lead to a reduction in longevity. Entering into new social networks takes time, and most of the time, women face difficulty with acceptance and struggles to establish a social support network.

Changes in Roles and Responsibilities

After divorce, the roles and responsibilities that individuals have can change significantly.

Women may bear the added burden of having to support the family financially, bring up children singly, and handle extra household chores, leading to a stressful lifestyle. Women may experience a change in employment status, leading to reduced financial resources to pay bills or pay for healthcare-related costs, leading to a downturn in their health and longevity.

The Effects of Divorce on Mental Health

Research shows that both men and women suffer increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress after a divorce. However, women are more likely to experience turmoil and negative emotions after the process of divorce.

Women are more connected to social roles and family roles; with loss of home and children custody, they may suffer a sense of identity loss. A higher incidence of depression in women initiates systemic health conditions, including chronic illness, chronic pain, and an increase in risk to live a shorter life.

Insomnia and Sleep Disorders

Divorce is a trigger for obtaining or developing sleep disorders.

According to research, most women report sleeping difficulties after the divorce, which may include difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, leading to reduced productivity, increased fatigue, and reduced quality of life. Divorced women report that the quality of their sleep is significantly affected, with most experiencing insomnia and sleep apnea, due to emotional and mental stress imposed by post-divorce life difficulties.

The Influence of Divorce on Cardiovascular Disease

There is a correlation between cardiovascular disease and depression associated with divorce. Women who experience frequent stressful conditions or events related to the divorce process are at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

They can have increased blood pressure, heart problems, strokes, and other complications. Stress caused by divorce leads to cortisol hormone production, making it possible to develop health consequences such as hyperglycemia, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular ultimately.

Conclusion

Divorce has widespread and far-reaching effects on women. While men and women both suffer stress from divorce, women may experience more physical and emotional distress due to numerous reasons.

There is a need to better understand the effect of divorce on women to provide effective support. We need to take action to reduce the negative impact of divorce, reduce the risk of emotional distress, improve access to health care, provide a support network and access to resources.