Women between the ages of 50-70 experience divorce more difficult than men. This is evidenced by their longer use of medications to treat depression. This conclusion was reached by researchers from Chongqing Medical University in China. results published In Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (JECH).
The researchers focused on tracking antidepressant use patterns among Finns aged 50 to 70 between 1996 and 2018. A total of 228,644 people participated in the research. It is stated that 85,031 (37%) of them lost their spouses, 75,009 (33%) got divorced, and 68,604 (30%) stopped living with their partner due to separation.
Subsequently, 53,460 participants entered new relationships two to three years later; 31,238 after separation, 15,958 after divorce and 6,264 after the death of a partner.
It has been determined that men are more willing than women to enter into new relationships after a separation or loss of a spouse. Antidepressant use increased after partner loss in both genders. Similarly, the frequency of use of such drugs increased in both genders in the six months before divorce; 5% in men; 7% in women.
It is stated that women who experience a breakup in a relationship significantly increase their antidepressant use (6%) in the four years before this event. Men also began using such drugs more frequently (by 3%), but to a much lesser extent than women.
Within a year of divorce or separation, men’s use of antidepressants returned to levels 12 months before the end of the relationship. However, the frequency of use of such drugs in women decreased slightly after one year.
Researchers have suggested that women may take on more responsibility for managing interpersonal relationships, which can negatively impact their mental health.
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