Are you unhappy with your marriage? You're not alone. But before you pick up the phone and call an Illinois family attorney, perhaps it's worth answering the following question: Will a divorce really make you happier?
A study of unhappy marriages by University of Chicago researchers titled "Does Divorce Make People Happy?" attempts to shed light on that important but difficult question.
The answer at least according to this study's findings, is a resounding "no," with the exception of divorcing from an abusive partner.
The study's conclusions, presented in the 39-page report linked above, were based on the 645 spouses out of 5,232 married adults who told the National Survey of Families and Households that their marriages were "unhappy." These same individuals were interviewed once again after five years and researchers used these two sets of interviews as the basis for the study.
Six main conclusions were drawn from the research:
-
Adults in unhappy marriages who divorced (or separated) weren't any happier than those who were unhappy but stayed married, on average.
-
On average, depression or low self-esteem among unhappily married adults did not improve after divorce.
-
Nearly three-fourths of divorces happened to adults who said they were happily married five years prior.
-
Three-fourths of the adults reporting an unhappy marriage were married to someone who reported a happy marriage.
-
The vast majority of unhappy spouses who stayed married (93 percent) did not report domestic violence five years later.
-
Two-thirds of adults reporting an unhappy marriage but who avoided divorce reported a happy marriage five years later.
Take what you will from these findings, but this study at least offers a glimmer of hope in the face of imminent divorce. If you do have questions about divorce, it may be best to consult an Illinois family attorney or just visit our Related Resources links.
Related Resources:
-
Deciding Whether or Not to Divorce (FindLaw)
ShareThis
