Suffering from depression after a divorce would depend mainly on one’s history.
With around 130,000 divorces per year in France, around 40% of marriages end this way. If some experience it as an ordeal from which they never really come back, others manage to overcome it in a sometimes surprising way.
History of depression as determining factor
According to some studies, the emotional reaction of a person following his divorce depends mainly on his propensity for depression. More than one in two adults who have already suffered from depression will experience a depressive episode again after their divorce. This propensity is only 10% among adults who have never had such a history, thus testifying to their capacity for resilience in the face of life’s trials.
Divorce therefore does not have a serious depressive effect in people who were not sensitive to it before. On the other hand, separation or divorce exacerbates the psychological risks already present.
How to overcome your divorce?
Overcoming a divorce requires time and energy to recreate your daily life and get rid of your past relationship. Knowing how to surround yourself in this difficult period, whether by friends or family, allows you not to feel alone in the face of your emotions.
For people who have already experienced depression, support from a health professional, whether a psychologist or a psychiatrist, is essential to contain the depression that may return. Medication support with an antidepressant and psychotherapy may be needed.
Source: Sbarra, DA, Emery, RE, Beam, CR, & Ocker, BL (2014). Marital Dissolution and Major Depression in Midlife: A Propensity Score Analysis. Clinical Psychological Science, 2(3), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702613498727
Find out more: “Divorced and joyful! – Or how to survive divorce” by Anne Roumanoff, published by Cherche Midi.
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