The Effect of Divorce on Fathers

 Posted on April 17, 2019 in Divorce

When a couple decides to get a divorce, each individual processes it differently. However, the first step for everyone should be to hire a good divorce lawyer. From there, it is important to work on your physical and mental health as you begin a new chapter of your life. If you are a father going through a divorce, this step is especially important as new studies show that divorced fathers are more prone to depression and suicide. Here are a couple of reasons to explain this outcome.

Married Men Live Longer

In traditional families, the wife was most commonly in charge of doctor’s appointments.  If a divorced man is not used to making his regular doctor appointments, he may not remember to schedule them. Thus, he can miss check-ups for melanoma or prostate exams, check-ups that are necessary to detect fixable problems before they turn into cancerous diseases. According to one study, 42 percent of divorced men don’t have a regular physician. Moreover, men who have never been married have a 70 percent higher death rate than married men. Of course, a tumultuous marriage can raise blood pressure and stress, but overall, married men are healthier. 

Divorced Dads Are More Careless With Their Health

The first thing divorced fathers abandon is their personal health. Perhaps it’s because they don’t have someone checking up on them or perhaps it’s depression, but divorced fathers are more likely to eat fewer fruits and vegetables, not use protection during sex, and become riskier drivers. 

Rise in Suicide Among Unmarried Males

Perhaps the scariest statistic about unmarried males is the increased suicide rates compared to married males and unmarried females. Unmarried males account for 62 percent of all male suicides and are eight times more likely to commit suicide than divorced women. Reasoning may be that men are usually more isolated after divorce since women are more likely to retain child custody and women generally have a better social support system.

Contact a Novi, MI Divorce Attorney

Divorce should be seen as the beginning chapter of a new life. To start on the right foot, it is important to find a good divorce lawyer. If you need help with your divorce, contact our hard-working Oakland County divorce lawyers today. Elkouri Heath, PLC promises to take whatever steps are needed to make sure you feel prepared and knowledgeable regarding your divorce. For a free initial consultation, contact 248-344-9700.

Source:

https://jech.bmj.com/content/57/12/993

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1059766/