Is Divorce a Contagious Disease?

You probably have never thought of divorce as something you could catch from someone else, but a new study from the Pew Research Center shows that it’s true that divorce is contagious. People who have friends who get divorced have a higher chance themselves of getting divorced. The long-term study tracked people for more than 30 years and concluded that anyone who has a friend who gets divorced is 75% more likely to get a divorce themselves. The closer the friend, the higher the risk of the divorce bug spreading. Even knowing a friend of a friend who ends a marriage can increase your own risk.

In addition to showing that divorce really does spread like a virus, the study had some other important conclusions to offer.

• When people get remarried, they usually marry other people who have been divorced. While it’s true that the older you get the more likely it is that single people your age are divorcees, the study also suggests that divorce is a common experience that can bond people. Only someone who has been through a divorce can understand what you’ve gone through.
• Having a lot of friends can divorce-proof your marriage. The more friends people reported having, the less likely it was that they would end up divorced. Social scientists know that support networks can make you healthier and happier and the study shows they can do the same for your marriage.
• Divorce hurts your social life. After a divorce, people reported having fewer friends. Because many friends may be mutual friends, or part of a couple, they often have to choose sides in a divorce. Many people find that they reinvent themselves after a divorce, causing them to reevaluate friendships.

Whether you are facing a divorce, a custody case, or a post-modification case, the skilled and experienced lawyers at the Sampair Group will give you the advice you need in the Mesa or Glendale areas of Arizona. Give us a call today.