Is Divorce Contagious?

By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Victor Harris, PhD, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida

If you’re married, what do you consider the key to the health of your relationship? You might name communication, a strong foundation of friendship, or perhaps that monthly date night. However, it may not have occurred to you to look to your friends’ and family members’ relationships as a source of strength—or problems. But new research in the journal Social Forces implies that this just might be the case.

In this study of thousands of adults who nearly all lived in one city in Massachusetts, researchers followed participants for three decades, interviewing them every four years, and tracking when and if they married and divorced. Researchers were also able to keep track of divorces within social and family networks.

In this study, having even one close friend or family member who divorced increased one’s own risk of divorce substantially. Even having a “friend of a friend” get divorced raised the chances of a split. These results suggest that people whose friends and family members are less divorce-prone might be more likely to stay married.

Why would divorce be “contagious” like this? The authors propose that some people may watch as marriages end and decide that divorce isn’t as bad as they thought. We also know that other behaviors, such as childbearing and obesity, can be “contagious” in this same way. Whatever this phenomenon’s cause, these findings remind us that supporting the health of the marriages of those close to us is always a good idea–not only for their sake, but for our own sake as well.

(Image credit: Let’s Get a Divorce by Monochrome. CC license.)

References:

McDermott, R., Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2013). Breaking up is hard to do, unless everyone else is doing it too: Social network effects on divorce in a longitudinal sample. Social Forces. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1093/sf/sot096

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Posted: January 6, 2014
Last Updated: May 7, 2026



Category: Relationships & Family, Work & Life
Tags: Archive, Health And Wellness, Healthy Relationships


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November 17, 2014

This recipe is amazing and delicious and you don't have to knead it. You can sub in whole wheat flour for about 50% of the flour, but may need to add more water, and the loaf will be flatter. The long rise and high water content give it amazing flavor and texture. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0 I also use this recipe, which makes two loaves and is sort of similar, but not the same. Again, you can sub in whole wheat flour for about 50%. I also like to add sesame seeds. I make this one in traditional loaf pans with a silicone liner (otherwise it will stick) so it can be used for sandwiches more easily. I used to make this recipe every week but haven't been getting around to it lately. http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/five-minute-artisan-bread

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November 11, 2014

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October 15, 2014

I've never seen meat on BOGO! I've seen sales on cost per pound, but how do they provide them as BOGO? Would like more information about this as that would be a tremendous savings and a do have a freezer.

Carol Church

October 15, 2014

And then there's the snack provided to the kids after the game! (I can go for fruit and water, but that is not what tends to be provided) Fortunately, the stand turns out to be not that visible to the kids...they didn't notice it, at least this first time.

Linda
October 15, 2014

Thanks for sharing this Carol. Those concession stands were always a concern for me, as a nutritionist and mom interested in healthy eating for my family. We almost never bought anything, which made me feel a bit guilty that I was not supporting the team, but I figured that our health was more important than a few dollars for the team. Not only do those foods provide more fat, sodium, and/or added sugars than most people need, they tend to fill you up so that you may not eat a healthy dinner after the game. Of course, that was the other annoying part of soccer games ... the team always wanted to stop at McDonald's after the game! Oh my ...

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October 10, 2014

Hi Selina, You may be looking for a point of contact with the UF FYCS department? I will send you an email with the appropriate info. :)

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October 10, 2014

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October 9, 2014

My family is totally converted to no-cook overnight oatmeal, whch we had never tried before this post! My daughter loves banana-peanut butter with a tiny bit of chopped dark chocolate, and my son likes apple-cinnamon. I am not a morning person, so I love that I can make it the night before!!

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September 25, 2014

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September 25, 2014

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September 17, 2014

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September 5, 2014

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September 4, 2014

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August 11, 2014

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August 5, 2014

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July 31, 2014

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April 15, 2014

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March 25, 2014

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March 20, 2014

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March 19, 2014

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March 1, 2014

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February 13, 2014

Well said, I too have a growing collection of art projects and cards from my kids. I treasure these. In fact my wife still has a poem I wrote for her while we were dating in graduate school. She eventually had it mounted onto a plaque several years after we were married.

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February 12, 2014

This is a good reminder about what is really important on this holiday. It made me think about all of those cards I made for my parents when I was in elementary school ....you know the ones with red paper and doilies! My mom kept those thoughtful (and cheap) cards for years and I too have some that my son made for me. Guess it is the thought that counts (although chocolate is really fun to get too, I must admit ...)!

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