The decision to file for divorce is a challenging one in its natural state, but when it comes to terminal or chronic illness, it’s even tougher. Yet that hasn’t stopped some marriages from dissolving as a result of a chronic illness diagnosis. In a new study from researchers at Iowa State University, it was found that such diagnoses can lead to marital failure, but mostly when it’s the wife who gets sick.
The research team examined 2,701 couples over the age of 50 across an 18-year period from 1992 to 2010 and found that “if a diagnosis of cancer, heart problems, lung disease and/or stroke” were made, marriages had a six percent greater likelihood of failing, provided that it was the woman with the illness. If it was the husband, this did not hold true.
In comments to the news site, Amelia Karraker, lead author and an assistant professor of human development and family studies at the university, had this to say.
“This work has gotten a lot of pretty strong personal reactions from individuals that I’ve talked to. … People have said, ‘This happened to my friend’ or ‘This happened to me — I got breast cancer and then my husband asked for a divorce.'”
However, HuffPo notes, the study did not clarify whether it was the husband’s choice to divorce the wife, noting that results show men with chronic illnesses are more pleased with their wives’ caregiving, while wives are generally less pleased with the husband’s caregiving.
Our own research of users at MyDivorcePapers has shown that women initiate divorce two-thirds of the time. The findings also coincide with an uptick in “grey divorce,” which has become something of a phenomenon as baby boomers enter retirement.
What do you think causes men and women to file divorce papers when the wife is diagnosed, and why would you say this stat doesn’t hold true when roles are reversed? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 16 years old I’ve met my wife when I turned 21 she knew about my disease shortly after we met but we got married and our marriage last 12 years before I was unable to work because of my illness I am now 40 years old and I haven’t worked for 2 years since then I’ve been separated with my wife because of I couldn’t work and now I am trying to get a divorce on my own .
I’m the one with the chronic illness and my husband of 20yrs asked for a divorce the same month I had my knee replaced. The chronic illness haa been the last 10 years. I think he thinks he got the short end of the stick and got tired of taking care of Me which wasn’t much to do I had brain surgery 10 yrs ago that left me with chronic serious headaches and I just needed to be left alone to suffer through it but I think he made up his mind when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s due to scar
tissue and he didn’t like the long range true care that would come.