The process of divorce is one that's best avoided until there's no other possible outcome. The stress of having to break up a relationship that has taken years to build can affect people well into their post-divorce lives. A new study recently published in the journal Economica, however, has found that women are more likely to bounce back from a divorce quicker and in better shape than their ex-spouses.
"In the study, we took into account the fact that divorce can sometimes have a negative financial impact on women, but despite that it still makes them much happier than men" said lead author Yannis Georgellis, director of the Centre for Research in Employment, Skills and Society at the Kingston Business School in London, England. Additionally, Georgellis told the Toronto Daily Star that one possible reason for that is that many women are escaping emotionally and physically taxing relationships.
The study took place over 20 years and polled 10,000 people aged 16-60, after major milestones in their lives--like divorce. And while men also felt a relief after the divorce, the polled women had a higher percentage. Georgellis also said that he hoped that women who were afraid to leave their marriages might be encouraged by the study.
"As the results of the study suggest, on average women are better off after divorce, so there is no need to be frightened. But again we are talking about on average," he said.
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Women happier than men after divorce, study finds (Toronto Daily Star)