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Facts
About Marital Distress and Divorce
Scott
M. Stanley & Howard J. Markman
University of Denver and PREP, Inc.
- Younger
people in the U.S. who are marrying for the first time
face roughly a 40-50% chance of divorcing in their lifetime
under current trends (U.S. Bureau of the Census,
1992, p. 5).
- Of
first marriages that end in divorce, many end in the
first 3 to 5 years. (As one example, for first marriages
ending in divorce among women aged 25 to 29, the median
length of marriage before divorce in 1990 was 3.4 years;
U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992, p. 4).
- Adults
and children are at increased risk for mental and physical
problems due to marital distress (e.g., Cherlin
& Furstenberg, 1994; Coie et al. 1993; Coyne, Kahn,
& Gotlib, 1987; Cowan & Cowan, 1992; Fincham,
Grych, & Osborne, 1993).
- Mismanaged
conflict and negative interaction in marriage predict
both marital distress and negative effects for children
(e.g., Gottman, 1994; Markman & Hahlweg, 1993;
Clements, Stanley, & Markman, 1997; Cowan &
Cowan, 1992; and Grych & Fincham, 1990).
- Marital
problems are associated with decreased work productivity,
especially for men (e.g., Forthofer, Markman, Cox,
Stanley, & Kessler, 1996).
- A
variety of studies suggest that the seeds of marital
distress and divorce are there for many couples when
they say, "I Do." These studies show that
premarital (or early marital) variables can differentiate
between couples who will do well and those who will
not do well with 80% up to 94% accuracy (e.g., Clements,
Stanley, & Markman, 1997; Fowers, Montel, &
Olson, 1996; Gottman, 1994; Karney & Bradbury, 1995;
Kelly & Conley, 1987; and Rogge & Bradbury,
in press).
- Many
more couples live together prior to marriage than in
the past--recent estimates are in the range of 60+%
(Stanley & Markman, 1997; Bumpass & Sweet,
1991). These couples are less likely to stay married,
probably mostly due to the fact that they are less conservative
about marriage and divorce in the first place.
- Money
is the one thing that people say they argue about most
in marriage, followed by children (Stanley &
Markman, 1997). But, there is a lot of reason to believe
that what couples argue about is not as important as
how they argue (Markman, Stanley, & Blumberg, 1994).
- Married
men and women in all age groups are less likely to be
limited in activity (a general health index) due to
illness than single, separated, divorced, or widowed
individuals (National Center for Health Statistics,
1997).
- Children
living with a single parent or adult report a higher
prevalence of activity limitation and higher rates of
disability. They are also more likely to be in fair
or poor health and more likely to have been hospitalized
(National Center for Health Statistics, 1997).
- The
"triple threat" of marital conflict, divorce,
and out-of-wedlock births has led to a generation of
U.S. children at great risk for poverty, health problems,
alienation, and antisocial behavior.
Bumpass,
L.L, & Sweet, J.A. (1991) The Role of Cohabitation in
Declining Rates of Marriage. Journal of Marriage and
the Family, 53, 913-927.
Cherlin, A. J., & Furstenberg, F. F., Jr. (1994). Step
families in the United States: A reconsideration. Annual
Review of Sociology, 20, 359-381.
Clements, M., Stanley, S.M., & Markman, H.J. (1997).
Predicting Divorce: A discrimant analysis. Manuscript
in preparation.
Coie, J., Watt, N., West, S. G., Hawkins, J. D., Asarnow,
J. R., Markman, H. J., Ramey, S. L., Shure, M. B., &
Long, B. (1993). The science of prevention: A conceptual
framework and some directions for a national research program.
American Psychologist, 48, 1013-1022.
Coyne, J. C., Kahn, J., & Gotlib, I. H. (1987). Depression.
Family interaction and psychopathology: Theories, methods,
and findings. New York: Plenum Press.
Cowan, C. P., & Cowan, P. A. (1992). When partners
become parents: The big life change for couples. New
York: Harper Collins.
Fincham, F., Grych, J., & Osborne, L. (1993, March).
Interparental conflict and child adjustment: A longitudinal
analysis. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of
the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans,
LA.
Forthofer, M.S., Markman, H.J., Cox, M., Stanley, S., &
Kessler, R.C. (1996). Associations between marital distress
and work loss in a national sample. Journal of Marriage
and Family, 58, 597-605.
Fowers, B. J., Montel, K. H., & Olson, D. H. (1996).
Predicting marital success for premarital couple types based
on PREPARE. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 22,
103-119.
Gottman, J. (1994). Why marriages succeed or fail.
New York: Simon & Schuster.
Grych, J., & Fincham, F. (1990). Marital conflict and
children's adjustment. Psychological Bulletin, 108,
267-290.
Karney, B.R., & Bradbury, T.N. (1995). The longitudinal
course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory,
method, and research. Psychological Bulletin, 118,
3-34.
Kelly, E. L., & Conley, J. J. (1987). Personality and
compatibility: A prospective analysis of marital stability
and marital satisfaction. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 52, 27-40.
Markman, H.J., Stanley, S.M., & Blumberg, S.L. (1994).
Fighting for Your Marriage: Positive Steps For A Loving
and Lasting Relationship. San Francisco: Jossey Bass,
Inc.
National Center for Health Statistics (1997, January). Health
and SelectedSocioeconomic Characteristics of the Family:
United States, 1988-90. (PHS) 97-1523. Washington D.C.:
General Printing Office.
Rogge, R.D., & Bradbury, T.N. (in press). Recent Advances
in the Prediction of Marital Outcomes. In R. Berger &
M.T. Hannah (Eds.) Handbook of preventive approaches
in couples therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Stanley, S.M., & Markman, H.J.(1997) Marriage in
the 90s: A Nationwide Random Phone Survey. Denver, Colorado:
PREP, Inc.
U. S. Bureau of the Census (1992). Marriage, divorce,
and remarriage in the 1990's (Current Population Reports,
P23-180). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
(C) PREP,
Inc. 1998. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.prepinc.com
Copyright © 2003 by PREP, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of the
contents of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means without the written permissions of
the publisher.
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