Women are more likely to use antidepressants after the end of a relationship than men later in life, researchers have discovered.
The observational study, funded by the European Research Council and the Academy of Finland, examined 228,644 Finnish residents aged 50 to 70 between 1996 and 2018, all of whom had experienced a breakup, divorce or bereavement between 2000 and 2014.
Of the group, 33% were divorced and 30% had broken up with their partner and moved away, while 37% were grieving after the death of their partner.
The research, led by Prof. Yaoyue Hu from Chongqing Medical University found that women experiencing a breakup significantly increased their use of antidepressants in the four years prior to the event compared to men: 6% were taking antidepressants compared to 3.2% of men.
The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, and peer-reviewed, also found that antidepressant use increased for both men and women in the six months leading up to divorce, by 5% in men and 7% in women. Use stabilized after a year, but remained higher for both than before the divorce.
The researchers said the observed patterns regarding antidepressant use may indicate that women find it more difficult to emotionally adjust to divorce or relationship breakdown later in life, compared to men.
Other factors attributable to the disproportionate use of antidepressants may include gender differences in family roles, responsibilities, and economic status.
The research also found that more men re-partnered after a death or relationship breakdown than women, while there was no gender difference among those who had divorced.
“The greater increase in (antidepressant) use associated with union dissolution among women in our study may indeed be related to the fact that the mental health costs of union dissolution fall more heavily on women than on men” , the study said.
The researchers added: “The smaller reduction in (antidepressant) use associated with repartnering in women than in men may be related to explanations that marriage benefits men’s mental health to a greater extent than that of men. women, and that older men are more likely than women to seek emotional support when reworking.”
The research shows that gray divorces – at the age of 50 and older – are increasing in high-income countries, due to the aging of the population.
Gavin Scott, family law partner at British law firm Freeths, said the figures were “not surprising”.
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He said: “Most divorces still leave women in a weaker financial position than their husbands because they have taken a step back from developing their careers to be the primary caregiver of the children.
“Facing the uncertainty of their financial position after divorce can be a huge mental burden, and when you add that to the anticipation of divorce, which can be an extremely painful process, it’s no wonder that using antidepressants increases.
“We often see marriages break down, yet the parties continue to live together in a very unpleasant atmosphere, which only increases the pressure on the mental health and emotional well-being of children in that situation.”