Temporal Associations Between Depression and Hostility in the Context of a Divorce Intervention.

Divorce interventions have been found to be effective in reducing negative outcomes for newly divorced people, including depression and hostility. Typically, divorce interventions cover a variety of issues that may influence people's level of depression and hostility. However, it is unclear whether the interventions differentially affect the outcomes. That is, it may be that intervention participation leads to a reduction in depression, which is associated with a prospective reduction in hostility-or vice versa. The current study used a sample of 1,856 recently divorced Danes, who completed questionnaires at baseline, 3-, 6-, and 12-month post-divorce. Structural equation modeling revealed that while depression and hostility were concurrently associated, there were no prospective associations, except for baseline depression predicting 3-month hostility. Moreover, the associations did not differ by gender. The results suggest that the intervention content may have influenced both depression and hostility. These findings may be useful in guiding future divorce intervention developments.

Mental health trajectories after juridical divorce: Does personality matter?

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated whether the Big Five personality dimensions were associated with mental health trajectories and/or intervention effects of a digital divorce intervention from juridical divorce to 12 months following juridical divorce. The study utilized a randomized controlled trial study design (N = 676) and measured mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression, somatization, and stress) at study inclusion (i.e., at juridical divorce) and 3-, 6-, and 12 months after juridical divorce. Big Five personality dimensions were measured 1 month post study inclusion. RESULTS: The study found that neuroticism is the personality dimension most predictive of post-divorce mental health outcomes. Specifically, divorcees with higher neuroticism scores indicated worse mental health immediately following divorce, but their symptom levels decreased more rapidly over a 12 months period after juridical divorce compared with lower neuroticism divorcees. It is also notable that their mean scores for the mental health outcomes remained higher at all time points (3, 6, and 12 months post baseline), relative to those lower in neuroticism. CONCLUSION: Findings are discussed in light of divorce-adjustment-theory and the stress-buffering model.

The future of divorce support: Is "digital" enough in presence of conflict?

Divorce conflict is the main driver of adverse postdivorce health adjustments among divorcing families. Despite the growing potential of online divorce support programs, there is concern that such solutions might not be sufficient to impact health-related disparities among high-conflict divorcees. The present study examined the effectiveness of the digital "Cooperation after Divorce" intervention as a function of conflict among 1856 recently divorced Danish residents. Linear mixed-effect regression modeling suggested that, although higher levels of divorce conflict at judicial divorce predicted worse health outcomes up to 1 year following divorce, the effectiveness of the digital divorce intervention did not vary as a function of the initial level of divorce conflict. Individuals in the intervention group with higher conflict in divorce still reported worse health at 12 months follow-up than those with lower levels of divorce conflict; however, much lower than the control group.

Anxiety, depression and associated factors among recently divorced individuals.

BACKGROUND: In divorce research, studies using large samples, very recently divorced individuals and validated measures of depression and anxiety with available background populations for comparison are missing. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate symptoms of depression and anxiety among recently divorced Danes and assess the explanatory power of relevant sociodemographic- and divorce-related variables on these symptoms. METHODS: The study utilized an online cross-sectional design and a total of 1856 Danish citizens recruited through the Danish State Administration. Average scores for depression and anxiety were compared to the Danish background population and regression analyses were conducted to assess the explanatory power of sociodemographic- and divorce characteristics on symptoms of depression and anxiety. RESULTS: Divorcees reported significantly higher levels of both depressive and anxiety symptoms than the background population with a large proportion of the sample scoring equal to or higher than generally recommended cut-off values for risk of suffering from a psychiatric diagnosable case of depression or anxiety. Both sociodemographic- and divorce characteristics were predictive of symptoms of depression and anxiety. CONCLUSION: The findings underline the relevance of public health intervention targeting symptoms of depression and anxiety among recently divorced individuals.

Examining gender effects in postdivorce adjustment trajectories over the first year after divorce in Denmark.

Research into gender and postdivorce mental and physical health has been highly inconsistent. The Gender Similarities Hypothesis suggests there are more similarities than differences and the Divorce Stress Adjustment Perspective suggests that structural inequalities may contribute to adverse postdivorce outcomes. We conducted secondary analyses from an RCT study to investigate if there were gender-specific trajectories and whether gender was associated with outcomes (self-perceived stress, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatization, general hostility, and overall mental and physical health) after controlling for effects of the intervention, income, and number of children using linear mixed-effect regression modeling, and whether number of children and income influenced these outcomes. Participants were 1,239 women and 617 men from the Cooperation after Divorce (CAD) study, conducted in Denmark, a country with less income disparity, high gender equality, shared childrearing by men and women, and societal acceptance of divorce. The analyses assessing the relationship between gender and 12-month postdivorce adjustment in terms of physical and mental health outcomes revealed that for self-perceived stress, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatization, hostility, and overall mental and physical health in this sample postdivorce adjustment trajectories were not gender-specific, and gender was only significantly associated with stress and somatization as a time-invariant additive effect. These findings suggest gender similarities in postdivorce adjustment and contribute to the Gender Similarities Hypothesis and the Divorce-Stress-Adjustment-Perspective by assessing individuals' postdivorce adjustment in a low-stigma and relatively egalitarian setting, providing a clearer assessment of the role of gender without potentially confounding issues of structural inequalities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Does One Size Fit All? Socioeconomic Moderators of Post-divorce Health and the Effects of a Post-divorce Digital Intervention / ¿Una talla única para todos? Los moderadores socioeconómicos de la salud tras el divorcio y los efectos de una intervención digital postdivorcio

Public health efforts to reduce divorce-induced health adversities are gaining momentum and positive interventional outcomes of the online Cooperation After Divorce (CAD) digital platform for divorcees have been documented by previous research. However, it is unknown whether socioeconomic characteristics previously associated with prolonged divorce recovery are also associated with post-divorce intervention efficacy, and if so, in what way. Multilevel modeling was employed using a sample of 1,856 recently divorced Danes, who participated in an RCT study of the CAD digital platform, to investigate whether educational and income level (1) predict post-divorce health, (2) moderate the time-induced trajectories of post-divorce health, and (3) moderate the intervention-induced trajectories on post-divorce health over the first 12-months following legal divorce. The findings indicated that lower education and lower income predicted worse post-divorce health over one year post-divorce. Furthermore, it was indicated that education moderated post-divorce anxiety so that lower-educated participants experienced a larger reduction in symptoms of anxiety over time. However, except for depression, no moderating effect of income and education on the intervention effect of CAD was found. Our results suggest a beneficial effect of the CAD digital platform across socioeconomic characteristics in the post-divorce period, bolstering claims of the scalability of post-divorce interventions. Moreover, the findings suggest that, theoretically, the intervention may work to compensate for the lack of educational resources in reducing the health gap in post-divorce recovery. (AU)

Las campañas de salud pública para disminuir las consecuencias negativas del divorcio para la salud están tomando impulso, y los resultados positivos de la intervención de la plataforma digital para divorciados, Cooperación tras el Divorcio (CTD), han sido documentados con investigaciones previas. No obstante, es incierto que las características socioeconómicas, antes asociadas a la recuperación prolongada del divorcio, también se asocien a la eficacia de la intervención tras el divorcio, y si es así, de qué modo. Se han utilizado modelos multinivel en una muestra de 1,856 daneses divorciados recientemente, los cuales participaron en un estudio RCT de la plataforma digital CTD con el fin de investigar si el nivel educativo y de ingresos (1) predecía la salud tras el divorcio, (2) moderaba las trayectorias de salud postdivorcio inducidas por el tiempo y (3) moderaba las trayectorias inducidas por la intervención en la salud postdivorcio durante los primeros 12 meses tras el divorcio legal. Los resultados indican que un menor nivel educativo y un un menor nivel de ingresos eran predictores de peor salud a lo largo de un año después del divorcio. Además se indicaba que el nivel educativo moderaba la ansiedad postdivorcio, de modo que los participantes de menor formación experimentaban una mayor reducción de los síntomas de ansiedad con el tiempo. No obstante, excepto para la depresión, no se encontró efecto moderador alguno de los ingresos y el nivel educativo en los efectos de la intervención de CTD. Los resultados indican que hay un efecto positivo de la plataforma digital CTD independientemente de las características socioeconómicas en el periodo postdivorcio, apoyando la escalabilidad de las intervenciones postdivorcio. Además, los resultados indican que teóricamente la intervención puede servir para compensar a las personas con un menor nivel educativo en la reducción de la brecha en salud que se produce en la recuperación postdivorcio. (AU)

When Love Hurts - Mental and Physical Health Among Recently Divorced Danes.

The last decades of research have consistently found strong associations between divorce and adverse health outcomes among adults. However, limitations of a majority of this research include (a) lack of "real-time" research, i.e., research employing data collected very shortly after juridical divorce where little or no separation periods have been effectuated, (b) research employing thoroughly validated and population-normed measures against which study results can be compared, and (c) research including a comprehensive array of previously researched sociodemographic- and divorce-related variables. The current cross-sectional study, including 1,856 recently divorced Danes, was designed to bridge these important gaps in the literature. Mental and physical health were measured using the Short Form 36 (SF-36)-2. Analyses included correlational analyses, t-test comparisons, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. The study found that the health-related quality of life of Danish divorcees was significantly worse than the comparative background population immediately following divorce. Across gender, higher levels of divorce conflict were found to predict worse mental health, and worse physical health for women, even when controlling for other socio-demographic variables and divorce characteristics. Among men, lower age and higher income predicted better physical health, while more children, more previous divorces, participant divorce initiation, new partner status, and lower levels of divorce conflict predicted better mental health. Among women, higher income, fewer previous divorces, new partner status, and lower levels of divorce conflict predicted better physical health while higher income, participant divorce initiation, new partner status, and lower levels of divorce conflict predicted better mental health. The findings underscore the relevance of providing assistance to divorcees who experience higher levels of divorce conflict immediately following divorce, in seeking to reduce potential long-term negative health effects of divorce.

A Randomised Controlled Trial Study of the Effects of a Digital Divorce Platform on Mental and Physical Health.

BACKGROUND: Two decades of divorce research has consistently documented adverse mental and physical health effects of divorce. Responding to calls for evidence-based online divorce interventions, this study tests effects of the "Cooperation after Divorce" (CAD) digital intervention platform on divorcees' mental and physical health. METHODS: Randomised control trial 12-month longitudinal study using a sample of 1,856 newly divorced Danes. Mental and physical health were measured using the SF-36 at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months from baseline. Intervention effects were investigated using linear mixed effect models and Cohen's (d) for effect sizes. RESULTS: The study found significant treatment effects of the CAD intervention on mental and physical health. These effects were evident across all eight health domains constituting the mental and physical health components. The study also found that the intervention group had significantly better mental health than the control group at subsequent 6- and 12-month assessments from baseline while for physical health, the intervention group had significantly better physical health at the 6-month assessment from baseline only. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that digital solutions allowing for individually tailored user experiences may hold great potential in reducing well-known adverse health effects of divorce. PRACTITIONER'S POINTS: The study finds highly significant treatment effects of the "CAD" digital divorce intervention on mental and physical health indicating that online interventions may be successfully integrated into help offered to divorcees post-divorce.

Friend or foe? Postdivorce hostility among recently divorced individuals.

High levels of hostility often occur during and postdivorce and may significantly affect the quality of life, parent-child relationships, and social functioning of divorcees. Moreover, hostility may predict aggressive and violent behavior. This study sought to (a) compare average general hostility levels of a large sample of Danish divorcees to the norms of the general adult Danish population, (b) compare general hostility levels between male and female divorcees, and (c) investigate the explanatory value of various sociodemographic and divorce-related factors on postdivorce general hostility and whether these factors differ across gender. Cross-sectional baseline data (N = 1,856) from a larger randomized controlled trial study was used in this study. Normative data from a general sample of Danish adults (N = 2,040) was used for comparisons of hostility levels between our study sample and the Danish background population. This study found that male and female divorcees did not report significantly different hostility levels. However, participants reported significantly higher hostility levels postdivorce than the comparative Danish norm sample. Significant predictors of postdivorce hostility were lower age, lower educational level, infidelity as a reason for divorce, higher degree of postdivorce conflict, worse communication with the former spouse, the former spouse as the initiator of the divorce, and new partner status with neither divorcees having a new partner, or only the former spouse having a new partner. The predictive strength of the factors did not differ across gender. The findings may be especially relevant for interventions targeting problematic outcomes postdivorce (e.g., preventing aggressive behavior).

Cooperation after divorce: an RCT study of the effects of a digital intervention platform on self-perceived stress / La cooperación después del divorcio: un estudio RCT sobre los efectos en el estrés percibido de una intervención basada en una plataforma digital

Divorce has long been considered one of the most pervading stressful life events and has consistently been associated with high stress levels and subsequent poorer mental- and physical health. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the Cooperation after Divorce (CAD) online intervention on perceived stress immediately following divorce. The study's design was a one-year longitudinal randomized controlled trial including an intervention group (n = 1,031) and a no-treatment control group (n = 825) with four assessments of perceived stress levels (at baseline and 3, 6 and 12-months post-divorce). The CAD intervention consists of a 17-module online platform designed to support divorcees and their children post-divorce. Data analyses consisted of linear mixed effect modeling and means comparisons. The study found that the intervention significantly accelerated the reduction of perceived stress among recently divorced adults when compared with controls. Further, after one year, stress levels in the intervention group were reduced to normed national stress levels while the mean stress level in the control group remained substantially higher. The results suggest that online interventions may offer long-term public health benefits in reducing stress among newly divorced individuals and speak to potential implications related to the services provided for people undergoing divorce

El divorcio se ha considerado como uno de los eventos estresantes de la vida más persistentes y se ha asociado repetidamente con altos niveles de estrés y el deterioro de la salud mental y física. Este estudio evalúa la eficacia de la intervención online Cooperación Después del Divorcio (CAD) en el estrés percibido inmediatamente después de su ocurrencia. El diseño del estudio fue un ensayo controlado aleatorio longitudinal de un año que incluyó un grupo de intervención (n = 1,031) y otro de control sin tratamiento (n = 825) con cuatro evaluaciones del nivel de estrés percibido (línea base y 3, 6 y 12 meses después del divorcio). La intervención CAD consiste en una plataforma online de 17 módulos diseñada para apoyar a los divorciados y sus hijos después del divorcio. Los análisis de datos consistieron en modelos lineales de efectos mixtos y comparación de medias. El estudio encontró que la intervención aceleró significativamente la reducción del estrés percibido entre los adultos recientemente divorciados en comparación con el grupo control. Además, después de un año, el nivel de estrés en el grupo de intervención se redujo al nivel de estrés nacional normativo, mientras que el nivel de estrés promedio en el grupo control permaneció sustancialmente más alto. Los resultados sugieren que las intervenciones online pueden ofrecer ventajas para la salud pública a largo plazo para reducir el estrés entre las personas recién divorciadas y pueden tener implicaciones para los servicios que se prestan a las personas que se encuentran en un proceso de divorcio

"Divorce burnout" among recently divorced individuals.

Traditionally, the concept of burnout has been applied to the workspace but recent research suggests its applicability to more general contexts such as the family sphere. The present study applies burnout to the divorce context and (a) proposes and statistically tests the Divorce Burnout Model (DBM), (b) investigates the contribution of sociodemographic variables and divorce characteristics to burnout scores, and (c) investigates the relationship between burnout scores and the number of sick days and days of absence from work. Using a cross-sectional design and a sample of 1,856 recently divorced Danish citizens, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis verified the DBM´s good fit to data. Using this model, for men, it was found that fewer previous divorces, former spouse initiation of divorce, not having a new partner and a higher degree of conflict significantly predicted higher levels of divorce burnout. For women, lower income, former spouse divorce initiation, not having a new partner, and a higher level of conflict significantly predicted higher levels of divorce burnout. Across gender, burnout scores were found to significantly predict number of sick days and days of absence from work in the past 3 months over and above sociodemographic variables, divorce related characteristics, and depressive symptoms.

Randomized controlled trial study of the effects of an online divorce platform on anxiety, depression, and somatization.

Divorce is associated with a range of negative psychological consequences, including increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatization. The current study presents the results of a 1-year longitudinal randomized controlled trial study of the Cooperation After Divorce online intervention platform for adults going through a divorce. Participants included 1,856 Danish divorcees who, on average, began the intervention within 1 week of legal divorce and responded to the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised anxiety, depression, and somatization subscales at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months after juridical divorce. Data analyses consisted of linear mixed-effect model analyses, mean group comparisons, and 1-sample t tests to compare the 12-month follow-up with national normative data. The study found that the intervention platform significantly reduced anxious, depressive, and somatization symptoms among divorcees in the intervention group over a 1-year period and that the magnitude of these effects was large in effect size (Cohen's d > .78). Further, it was found that at 1 year after divorce, symptom levels of all 3 outcomes were close to the population norms for participants in the intervention group but still considerably elevated for participants in the control group. The findings suggest that online intervention platforms may be effective in reducing adverse mental health related effects of divorce and thereby offer long-term human and public health benefits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

"I Had Not Seen Star Wars" and Other Motives for Divorce in Denmark.

A total of 2,371 Danish residents participating in the Cooperation After Divorce randomized controlled trial study indicated the motives for their divorce. The most frequently given motives were lack of love/intimacy, communication problems, lack of sympathy/respect/trust, and growing apart. The least reported motives were violence, addiction, accident or illness, and personality. The results support global trends regarding an increased importance of emotional and psychological aspects of relationships. A factor analysis seeking to identify clusters in the motives did not yield statistically or theoretically strong results. This may indicate that experiences with and motives for divorce are heterogeneous and multifactorial.