Gray Divorce Research Articles

Job insecurity as a predictor of gray divorce: a gendered dyadic analysis

Abstract Divorce among older adults—known as gray divorce—is increasingly common; however, we have a relative gap in knowledge about predictors of gray divorce. Job insecurity, a pervasive and disruptive work-related exposure, may be a salient predictor of divorce among older couples for whom job loss can be particularly detrimental. Using longitudinal dyadic data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2020), the present study examined whether labor force status and job insecurity were prospectively associated with the risk of divorce in mid to later life, with attention to differences based on gender (n = 10,446 couples). Discrete-time event history models linked husbands’ and wives’ labor force status and job insecurity with subsequent odds of divorce in mid to later life. Findings show that husbands’ part-time employment, unemployment, and disability status were risk factors for divorce. Wives’ work disability also increased the risk of divorce, whereas wives’ retirement and exclusion from the labor force were protective against divorce. Husbands’ exposure to objective job insecurity (shorter job tenure) and perceived job insecurity were associated with divorce in mid to later life, whereas the adverse consequence of wives’ exposure to shorter job tenure reduced to non-significance with the inclusion of covariates. The present study documents previously untested predictors of gray divorce, finding that work-related factors may be an area of vulnerability for marriages in later life. Understanding the linkages between job insecurity and divorce is important because job insecurity is pervasive and divorce can contribute to declines in health and well-being.

Marital separation, reconciliation, and repartnering in later life

AbstractObjectiveThe growth in gray divorce raises new questions about the marital dissolution process experienced by older adults. Our goal was to assess patterns of reconciliation among couples following marital separation, treating forming a union with a new partner as a competing risk.BackgroundRepartnering after a gray divorce is common, particularly among men. However, the extent to which older adults reconcile with their spouses is unknown. In line with the few prior studies on marital reconciliation among younger people, we anticipated that spouses with fewer resources and more marital‐specific capital would be more likely to reconcile.MethodUsing the 1998–2018 Health and Retirement Study, we tracked women and men who experienced a marital separation after age 50 to evaluate their propensities to reconcile with their spouse versus form a coresidential union (i.e., cohabitation or remarriage) with a new partner relative to remaining separated.ResultsRoughly 7% of women and 11% of men reconciled with their spouses, whereas 12% of women and 26% of men instead formed unions with a new partner within 10 years of marital separation. We expected that having fewer resources and greater relationship‐specific investments would encourage reconciliation, but results were mixed for women and men alike. Resources did tend to be positively associated with repartnering, particularly for men.ConclusionOur study contributes to the emerging research on repartnering after late‐life divorce as well as the limited literature on marital reconciliation by underscoring the utility of examining both reconciliation and repartnering as potential outcomes following marital separation.

Memaknai Cinta Dalam Bingkai Erich Fromm Sebagai Refleksi Pada Fenomena Gray Divorce

Individualism and consumerist culture are inherent in the contemporary era, self-interest emerges. The meaning of love has been reduced, personal interests have become basic needs, this is fundamentally the root of the Gray Divorce phenomenon. In this research, researchers used qualitative and descriptive methods. Erich Fromm's perspective invites individuals who decide to choose Gray Divorce to turn over a new leaf and share love with others. Get out of the shackles of individualism and give love to those around you. When we give love, we also get love.

Food Security and Health Outcomes following Gray Divorce.

The study evaluates the immediate and long-term consequences of gray divorce (i.e., marital dissolution after age 50) for the food security, depression, and disability of older Americans. Staggered Difference-in-Difference models were fitted to a nationally representative longitudinal sample of adults aged ≥ 50 years from the Health and Retirement Study, 1998-2018. Food insecurity and disability increase in the year of gray divorce and remain significantly elevated for up to six years or more following the event, consistent with the chronic strain model of gray divorce. Gray divorce has particularly adverse consequences for the food security of older women, while no gender differences were observed for disability. Increasing trends in gray divorce have important negative implications for food security and health of older Americans, particularly women, who appear to be less prepared to financially withstand a marital collapse in older age. Targeted policies to provide nutrition assistance and support in reemployment might be necessary to reduce the burden of food insecurity in the wake of gray divorce among women.

Parent-Child Relationships Following Gray Divorce: Stronger Ties With Mothers, Weaker Ties With Fathers.

With rising gray divorce rates, older individuals face heightened risk of social isolation, highlighting the significance of adult children as a vital source of solidarity in the absence of a spouse. Simultaneously, gray divorce may undermine parent-adult child relationships and weaken the core of the family safety net of older persons. This study examined the consequences of gray divorce for parent-child relationships. We used longitudinal data from the German Family Panel (Pairfam), a large-scale panel study collecting detailed information about family relationships and family structure. We focused on adult children aged 18-49 (n = 9,092) whose parents were married at first observation. During an observation period spanning up to 13 years (2008-2020), 606 individuals experienced parental divorce. Using fixed-effects models, we estimated changes in contact frequency, emotional closeness, and instrumental and emotional support provided to parents. Consequences of gray divorce varied strongly between mothers and fathers. Adult-child solidarity intensified for mothers but eroded for fathers. This impact was strongest for changes in contact frequency, moderate for changes in emotional closeness, and smaller for changes in support. The persistence of gender role differentiation was evident, as daughters displayed closer ties and provided greater support to their mothers following a gray divorce. Divorce alters relationships with adult children. A gray divorce tilts adult-child solidarity toward mothers and puts fathers at a higher risk of social isolation. Moreover, the observed gender dynamics underscore the continued influence of gender roles on family dynamics in the aftermath of gray divorce.

Gray Divorce at Palembang Religious Court 2022: Factors Associated with Old Age Divorce

Divorce is a phenomenon that is experienced in various age ranges, including among the elderly showing an increasing trend. Previous studies emphasize the negative impact of divorce in old age. This study aims to identify the factors that lead to divorce among the elderly, particularly in the Palembang Religious Court, as well as understand the judges' views on this phenomenon. This field research used a qualitative approach, involving interviews with four judges and analyzing 56 divorce decisions among the elderly. The findings show that elderly couples tend to delay divorce in order to sustain the household, especially for the sake of their children. The decision to divorce is made when they feel unable to endure further problems, considering the greater impact. Thirteen main factors were cited as reasons why elderly couples decided to divorce. While judges attempted mediation, they did not have the authority to force a settlement. The results of this study are expected to provide valuable guidance for legal practitioners and policy makers in designing programs to prevent divorce at an elderly age. The limitation of this study lies in its focus only on the views of judges and decisions in religious courts. Examining the opinions of older people who have divorced directly has not been done, an aspect that needs further research.[Perceraian merupakan fenomena yang terjadi di berbagai rentang usia, termasuk di kalangan lansia yang menunjukkan peningkatan tren. Kajian sebelumnya menegaskan dampak negatif dari perceraian di usia lanjut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi faktor-faktor yang memicu perceraian di kalangan lansia, khususnya di Pengadilan Agama Palembang, serta memahami pandangan hakim terhadap fenomena ini. Penelitian lapangan ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif, melibatkan wawancara dengan empat hakim dan menganalisis 56 putusan perceraian di kalangan lansia. Temuan menunjukkan bahwa pasangan lanjut usia cenderung menunda perceraian demi mempertahankan rumah tangga, terutama demi anak-anak mereka. Keputusan bercerai diambil ketika mereka merasa tak mampu lagi menahan permasalahan lebih lanjut, dengan pertimbangan dampak yang lebih besar. Terdapat tiga belas faktor utama yang menjadi alasan pasangan lanjut usia dalam memutuskan perceraian. Meskipun hakim berupaya melakukan mediasi, namun mereka tidak memiliki kewenangan untuk memaksa perdamaian. Hasil penelitian ini diharapkan memberikan panduan berharga bagi praktisi hukum dan pembuat kebijakan dalam merancang program pencegahan perceraian di usia lanjut. Keterbatasan penelitian ini terletak pada fokusnya yang hanya pada pandangan hakim dan putusan di pengadilan agama. Menguji pendapat lansia yang telah bercerai secara langsung belum dilakukan, menjadi aspek yang perlu diteliti lebih lanjut.]

Gray Divorce During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Drawing on emerging evidence that the pandemic appears to have impeded both the divorce process and actual divorces, we examined whether the gray divorce rate (i.e., divorce among adults aged 50+) declined following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the 2019 and 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) were used to track changes in gray divorce. With the 2021 ACS, we estimated pandemic-era gray divorce rates across sociodemographic subgroups for middle-aged and older adults. We then pooled the 2019 (N = 892,700) and 2021 (N = 898,828) data to examine whether the risk of divorce changed with the onset of the pandemic net of sociodemographic characteristics, distinguishing trends for middle-aged versus older adults. The gray divorce rate dropped following the onset of the pandemic. This drop was more pronounced among middle-aged than older adults. For older adults, the divorce rate essentially stalled. The gray divorce rate now mirrors the overall trend of modest decline in U.S. divorce patterns. Whether the gray divorce rate continues to shrink as society transitions to a postpandemic environment awaits future research.

Gray divorce and parent–child disconnectedness: Implications for depressive symptoms

AbstractObjectiveDrawing on the divorce‐stress‐adjustment framework, the authors assessed whether parent–adult child relationship dynamics, including disconnectedness from an adult child, exacerbates the negative impact of gray divorce on parental well‐being.BackgroundDivorce after age 50 is increasingly common but the role of parent–child relationships in parents' adjustment to gray divorce is largely unknown.MethodUsing panel data from 1998 to 2018 Health and Retirement Study in the US, the authors estimated growth curve models to track depressive symptoms prior to, during, and after gray divorce among 930 gray divorced individuals. The authors examined whether the lack of any contact with an adult child in the past 12 months (i.e., parent–child disconnectedness) was associated with depressive symptoms trajectories surrounding divorce and subsequent repartnering.ResultsHaving no contact with at least one adult child aggravated the negative effect of divorce on parent's mental health. This association was robust for mothers and fathers. Having no contact with at least one child, however, did not diminish the temporarily positive effect of subsequent repartnering on mental health.ConclusionThe study contributes to the literature by showing that parent–child disconnectedness adds another blow to parents who are convalescing from divorce.

A Brief Report on Living Arrangements Following Gray Divorce.

We offer new insights on how older adults in the United States navigate the aftermath of gray divorce (i.e., divorce that occurs among adults aged 50+) by describing their living arrangements upon divorce and tracking the stability of these configurations over time. Living arrangements are important to decipher because they are linked to health, well-being, and longevity. Using data from the 1998-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we uncovered patterns of U.S. older adult living arrangements upon divorce (N = 1,057), distinguishing among those who lived alone, lived with others, and lived with a new partner. Multinomial logistic regression models were estimated to assess how individual characteristics (demographics, marital biography, economic resources, health, and social ties) were associated with these configurations. Cumulative survival probabilities gauged the relative stability of these 3 living arrangements. About half of U.S. adults lived alone upon gray divorce, another one-third lived with others, and the remaining 14% lived with a new partner. Adults living with a new partner tended to exhibit the most advantaged sociodemographic profiles, whereas those living solo or with others were largely comparable. More than 70% of adults experienced a subsequent living arrangement transition if they lived with others upon divorce, versus just 50% of those living alone and only 30% of those with a new partner. After divorce, older adults reside in a range of living arrangements, some of which are more stable than others. Future work should address whether and how these arrangements and their durability are related to postdivorce adjustment.

GRAY DIVORCE: AN INCREASINGLY COMMON PATH TO UNCOUPLING IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Late life divorce is rapidly increasing in large parts of the Western world, in what has been described as a “gray divorce revolution”. In the US the incidence of gray divorce doubled between 1990 and 2010, in Sweden it has more than doubled since the millennium and in Israel it has almost doubled since 1996. Still, gray divorce remains rather invisible both in family sociology, which mainly focuses divorce at earlier ages, and in gerontology, which still tends to view widowhood as the single path to late life uncoupling. This symposium introduces current research on gray divorce and addresses a range of questions, such as: Why do people divorce late in life? How does gray divorce affect later life, including economy, health, support networks and relationships to adult children? How do cultural values shape gray divorce? What is the difference between his and her gray divorce? The presenters represent different countries (the US, Israel and Sweden) and approach the topic of gray divorce with both quantitative and qualitative data.

ADULT CHILD PROXIMITY AND REPARTNERING AMONG PARENTS AFTER GRAY DIVORCE

Abstract The rise in gray divorce is spurring growth in repartnering, which occurs more frequently after divorce than widowhood. Roughly 40% of men and 25% of women form a co-residential union following gray divorce. Drawing on the 1998-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we assessed whether parent-adult child proximity (living within 10 miles) was associated with men’s and women’s repartnering after gray divorce. Men’s relationships with their children tend to erode following gray divorce, and thus we anticipated that the association between proximity and repartnering was negligible. In contrast, women’s ties to adult children are largely resilient following gray divorce, which led us to expect that having a child nearby reduced chances of repartnering. Our analyses revealed that both men and women with a proximate child less often repartnered than those with no children nearby. Repartnering seemingly functions as an alternative means to “doing family” for those lacking nearby children.

THE MEANING OF FAMILYHOOD FOR GRAY DIVORCE IN ISRAEL

Abstract Israel is a society that values familyhood alongside self-determination. Gray divorce rates in Israel are low, yet they have nearly doubled since 1996 from 2% to 3.65%. Little is known about grey divorce in modern societies and even less in societies located between tradition and modernity such as Israel. Deriving from data analysis, our aim is to present the meaning of familyhood for gray divorce in Israel from the experiences of individuals and couples who divorced at age 60+ and their adult children, using a life course perspective. 72 in-depth qualitative interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim with divorced men, women, and their adult children, analyzed as individuals, dyads, and family units based on principles of dyadic interview analysis. Findings include three themes: (a) The value of familyhood as a divorce delay. (b) Between couplehood dissolution and familyhood preservation. (c) Gray divorce shaping a new familyhood. Implications are discussed.

THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF GRAY DIVORCE FOR WOMEN AND MEN

Abstract Surprisingly little is known about the consequences of gray divorce (after age 50) and how women and men fare economically during the aftermath. Using longitudinal data from the 2004-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we estimated hybrid fixed/random effects models comparing women’s and men’s economic well-being prior to, during, and following gray divorce and subsequent repartnering. Women experienced a 45% decline in their standard of living, whereas men’s dropped by just 21%. These declines persisted over time for men, and only reversed for women following repartnering, which essentially offset women’s losses associated with gray divorce. Both men and women experienced roughly a 50% drop in wealth. Although repartnering seems to reverse most of the economic costs of gray divorce for women, few form new co-residential unions after divorce. This study offers insight about the financial aftermath of gray divorce, which is likely to contribute to growing economic disadvantage among older adults.

RELIEF, REGRETS, AND REINVENTION: LIFE AFTER GRAY DIVORCE

Abstract “Gray divorce,” or divorce which occurs in later life, is rapidly becoming more common in the United States. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to examine the lived experience of getting divorced in mid to later life. Data address the following research questions: 1) What are the divorcees’ expectations for the process of divorce and post-divorce life? 2) How do life phase factors and family relationships shape the divorce experience? Participants included 41 heterosexual men and women who legally divorced at the age of 55 or older and between 1-7 years from the time of the interview. Participants divorced from first and higher order marital unions. They included self-identified initiators, non-initiators, and co-initiators of the divorce. Results suggest that gray divorce is a complex experience marked by shifting feelings of ambivalence and certainty that are influenced by such factors as health and social networks, especially family.

The Graying of Divorce: A Half Century of Change.

We traced the historical arc of the rise in gray divorce (i.e., divorce that occurs among adults aged 50 and older) in the United States since 1970, elucidating unique patterns for middle-aged (aged 50-64) versus older (aged 65 and older) adults. Data from the 1970, 1980, and 1990 U.S. Vital Statistics Reports and the 2010 and 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) were used to chart the trends in gray divorce over the past half century. Drawing on the 2019 ACS, we estimated gray divorce rates across sociodemographic subgroups for today's middle-aged and older adults. We pooled the 2010 (N = 757,835) and 2019 (N = 892,714) ACS data to assess whether divorce risks are shifting for middle-aged versus older adults. The gray divorce rate was low and grew only modestly between 1970 and 1990 before doubling by 2010. Since 2010, the rate has decreased slightly (but the decrease is not statistically significant). The gray divorce rate has stagnated among middle-aged adults but continues to climb among older adults. Our study illustrates the graying of divorce over the past half century. Nowadays, 36% of U.S. adults getting divorced are aged 50 or older. The only age group with an increasing divorce rate is adults aged 65 and older, raising new questions about how they will navigate old age.

Why Do People Divorce Late in Life? Swedish Gray Divorce Narratives

Divorce rates for people 60+ has increased in many parts of the Western world in what has been described as a “grey divorce revolution”. In Sweden these divorce rates have more than doubled since the millennium. But why do people choose to divorce late in life and what is the impact of life phase typical transitions? Qualitative interviews with 37 Swedish men and women (aged 62-81) divorced after the age of 60 were collected, covering themes regarding the divorce process: motives for and experiences of divorce, and life as grey divorcee. The results by thematic analysis show that motives for divorcing earlier in the life-course, such as abuse, unfaithfulness and addiction are prevalent also among older people. However, they tend to be framed differently in later life and be integrated into divorce narratives informed by age. We identified four life phase typical narratives for divorce: 1) Lack of a common project for the third age. 2) Partners personality change due to age related disease. 3) Increased freedom after empty-nest allowing emancipation from a dominant partner. 4) A final romantic adventure as a form of rejuvenation. All these life-phase typical narratives are related to the third age as a time of self-fulfillment, where the partner can either be part of or an obstacle to that project. The results will be used to discuss current older cohorts’ views of family norms and later life from the perspective that current older cohorts participated in the divorce revolution in the 1970s as young adults.

Gray Divorce and labour Supply

ABSTRACT We use data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine how labour supply changes around divorces that occur later in life. We find that the probability of work and hours worked increase for women, but decline for men, with evidence of an anticipation effect for men. We find weak evidence of a post-divorce decline in per-capita wealth and stronger evidence of a decline in per-capita non-own-wage income for women, but not for men. While not causal, these findings are consistent with income and possibly wealth effects driving the post-divorce increase in women’s labour supply.

The Roles of Gray Divorce and Subsequent Repartnering for Parent-Adult Child Relationships.

Divorce is now widespread in later life, yet little is known about how older adults and their adult children respond in the aftermath of gray divorce. Guided by the life course perspective, this study examines the consequences of gray divorce and subsequent repartnering for parent-adult child relationships from the parent's perspective. Using longitudinal data from the 1998-2014 Health and Retirement Study in the United States, we estimated growth curve models to compare fathers' and mothers' frequent contact with and financial support to their adult children prior to, during, and following gray divorce. Gray divorce and repartnering had disparate effects on father- versus mother-adult child relationships. Following a divorce, fathers' frequent contact with their adult children decreased but financial support to their adult children increased. Fathers' repartnering had an enduring negative effect on frequent contact with their children. Gray divorce did not alter mothers' financial support to adult children and it actually increased interaction between mothers and adult children as the odds of frequent contact doubled upon divorce. Repartnering had no appreciable effects on mothers' relationships with their adult children. The results of our study are consistent with prior research showing that divorce creates a matrifocal tilt in our kinship system. The shifting dynamics of parent-adult child relationships in response to gray divorce and repartnering raise questions about whether gray-divorced parents will be able to rely on their adult children for care as they age.

The Economic Consequences of Gray Divorce for Women and Men.

Gray divorce, which describes divorce among persons aged 50 and older, is increasingly common reflecting the doubling of the gray divorce rate since 1990. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the consequences of gray divorce and in particular how women and men fare economically during the aftermath. Using longitudinal data from the 2004-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we estimated hybrid fixed/random-effects models comparing women's and men's economic well-being prior to, during, and following gray divorce and subsequent repartnering. Women experienced a 45% decline in their standard of living (measured by an income-to-needs ratio), whereas men's dropped by just 21%. These declines persisted over time for men, and only reversed for women following repartnering, which essentially offset women's losses associated with gray divorce. No gender gap emerged for changes in wealth following divorce with both women and men experiencing roughly a 50% drop. Similarly, repartnering was ameliorative only for women's wealth. Gray divorce is often financially devastating, especially for women. Although repartnering seems to reverse most of the economic costs of gray divorce for women, few form new co-residential unions after divorce. This study offers a cautionary tale about the financial aftermath of gray divorce, which is likely to contribute to growing economic disadvantage among older adults.

Gray divorce and mental health in the United Kingdom.

The number of older people who experience marital break-up has increased in many Western countries. However, limited empirical attention has been given to the study of the consequences of later-life divorce or separation. Previous studies on gray divorce are often cross-sectional and tend to capture a mix of short- and long-term effects of divorce and possibly selection effects into divorce. Drawing on data from nine waves of the UK Household Longitudinal Study (2009/2010-2017/2018), we analyze the effect of marital break-up on the mental health of 909 adults aged 50 or over to test the crisis model and the chronic strain model of divorce. We use fixed effects linear regression models to account for time-invariant confounders and distinguish between pre- and post-divorce effects. Our results indicate that older adults' depressive symptoms (GHQ) increase in the years before and upon union dissolution. After separation, depressive symptoms decrease and return to approximately previous baseline levels. Our analyses on heterogeneity in the effects of gray divorce show that post-divorce adjustment is faster for childless adults than for parents. We find no evidence that adjustment after gray divorce is slower for women than for men, or for persons who already experienced a prior union dissolution than for those who separate for the first time. The results are consistent with the crisis model of divorce but in contrast with the chronic strain model of divorce. Older adults are able to adjust to marital break-up, and their fertility histories tend to moderate the negative effect of later-life divorce on mental health.