Divorce is a common occurrence worldwide and can have significant emotional, physical and financial consequences. Researchers have long been exploring the relationship between psychological disorders and divorce.
A recent study by Jessica Salvatore and colleagues at Rutgers University examined whether genetic predispositions might influence both divorce risk and psychiatric disorders. In other words, could genetic conditions make people more susceptible to divorce or does the stress of going through a divorce cause or enhance these disorders?
The researchers analyzed data from over 2.8 million individuals in Sweden, focusing on family genetic risk scores (FGRSs) related to 10 psychiatric disorders. The study looked at patterns among those who experienced divorce.
Are risk factors reliable predictors?
The study assessed FGRSs, which are personalized genetic risk measures based on family histories of psychiatric disorders. The 10 factors considered were:
- Major depression
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety disorders
- Alcohol use disorder
- Drug use disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Anorexia nervosa
- Attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder
Researchers found that divorced individuals had higher FGRSs for these disorders compared to those in stable marriages or who never married. They noted that FGRSs increased with the number of divorces.
The study also found higher FGRSs among divorced females compared to males, suggesting that genetic predispositions might be less tolerated in wives than in husbands.
The study concludes genes can be a factor
The research links divorce to higher FGRSs for psychiatric disorders. These scores were particularly elevated among divorced females, individuals with multiple divorces and those without solid second marriages.
Although our genes do not directly cause divorce, they can increase vulnerability. The findings suggest that genetic predispositions for psychiatric disorders can influence the likelihood of divorce, but environmental factors and personal choices also play crucial roles. Further research is needed to understand these complex relationships fully.