"Through illness and wellness." Does this represent a lifelong commitment or a dated expression for marriage?
More senior citizens are opting for divorce nowadays, and this trend may relate to health issues — varying based on whose well-being is affected. A recent research indicates that physical condition contributes to the decision, yet traditional gender expectations could be the key element influencing this change.
An investigation conducted by Italian scientists featured in the Journal of Marriage and Family explored the connection between well-being and divorce statistics among senior citizens.
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The research analyzed data spanning 18 years — from 2004 to 2022 — collected from 25,542 European heterosexual pairs between the ages of 50 and 64.
It revealed some surprising findings. As spouses in relationships involving elderly individuals fell ill or experienced certain physical challenges, the rate of divorces started to increase.
"On the contrary, the likelihood of silver splits remained largely unchanged for individuals who reported lower self-perceived health or mobility issues, as opposed to those in better health," noted the researchers.
A fresh trend of "silver splits"
An American psychologist named Mark Travers, who holds qualifications from Cornell University in New York and the University of Colorado Boulder in the U.S., believes the research findings mainly stem from long-established traditional gender roles.
Influenced by societal norms since childhood to prioritize household skills, women have shouldered an unjust amount of responsibility within the home, he stated.
"A long-standing belief that a wife must constantly maintain harmony within the household has become deeply rooted, such that any departure from this responsibility might seem like, or indeed be seen as, a breakdown in the marriage," he stated in Psychology Today magazine.
For Travers, this violation of a "marriage agreement" might explain the recently identified trend of divorces among elderly adults.
"Undoubtedly, it is outdated and impractical to expect women to take on these responsibilities solely from the start," he wrote.
Spouses should consistently share these duties. Unfortunately, this is not always true in practice — particularly when wives encounter medical challenges.
The 'grey divorce' factor
Senior citizens are divorcing at unexpectedly high levels nowadays.
A study conducted by Bowling Green State University in Ohio, USA, found that cases of "grey divorce" increased threefold between 1990 and 2022. Consequently, approximately 15 percent of individuals aged 65 and above in the United States were divorced as of 2022.
According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based in Atlanta, approximately 39 percent of U.S. marriages concluded with a divorce between 2000 and 2022.
Out of every 1,000 American adults, approximately 6.2 were married. A notable portion ended their marriages, with an average of 2.4 individuals going through divorce.
Regarding the increasing number of elderly individuals getting divorced annually, Rosie Shrout, an assistant professor in human development and family sciences at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, primarily attributes this trend to longer life spans.
"Several factors contribute to gray divorce, including longer life expectancy. Individuals are becoming less inclined to stay in unsatisfying relationships and are more confident they can meet someone else," she mentioned.
Thus, elderly individuals are now more inclined to get divorced compared to previous times.
As individuals age further, there are increasing chances to form new romantic connections throughout adulthood, such as following a divorce or the loss of a spouse.
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