In those where ties to family and community are strong, lifelong marriages can be promoted by practices such as the cultural prohibition of divorce and arranged marriages that are seen as a contract between two families, not just two individuals.

make divorces virtually unacceptable

If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our sky high divorce rate.

when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929 But this doesn't mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages

Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn't afford to divorce.

The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold

bring about a drop in the divorce rate

What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce

The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate

What's less clear is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a recession - financial pressures mean couples argue more but make splitting up less affordable.

divorce and separation rates increase

Getting a divorce means risking a reduced life span.

Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn't smoke.

Her friend, Pat, the divorced mother of three, is struggling to make ends meet

But a new study finds that the risk of divorce among older couples rises when the wife——not the husband一becomes seriously ill.

But it's also important to recognize that the pressure to divorce may be health-related and that sick ex-wives may need additional care and services to prevent worsening health and increased health costs.

given the increasing concern about health care costs for the aging population, Karraker believes policymakers should be aware of the relationship between disease and risk of divorce.

Married women diagnosed with a serious health condition may find themselves struggling with the impact of their disease while also experiencing the stress of divorce.

Offering support services to spouses caring for their other halves may reduce marital stress and prevent divorce at older ages, she said.

They found that, overall, 31% of marriages ended in divorce over the period studied.

While the study didn't assess why divorce is more likely when wives but not husbands become seriously ill, Karraker offers a few possible reasons.