Divorcees and the widowed may face a higher risk of death than those who remain in relationships, according to a new long-term study from Norwegian researchers.
The study, published in the journal BMJ Public Health, analyzed national health data from 1984 to 2019, examining mortality risk among individuals who were divorced, had ended a partnership, or became widowed.
Researchers followed three groups of approximately 20,000 people each, who were married or living with a partner at the start of the study. During subsequent data collection, participants were categorized based on their relationship status: remaining married or cohabiting, divorced or separated, or widowed. Death records were then tracked through January 2020.
Across all study waves, divorces or breakups were consistently linked with higher mortality rates compared to couples who stayed together. This association persisted even after researchers accounted for factors such as age, gender, health habits, self-rated health, and loneliness.
Widowhood was also associated with an approximately 14% higher mortality risk, with the strongest link observed in the earliest period of the study. During the second study period, the association between breakup and mortality was more pronounced and found to be statistically significant among women.
The study authors acknowledged that while their research displays an association between living alone after a relationship loss and increased mortality risk, it does not establish a direct cause. They commented that these findings "highlight the importance of addressing social disconnection in public health and in clinical practice to reduce preventable mortality."
M. David Rudd, a psychology professor at the University of Memphis and director of the Rudd Institute for Veteran & Military Suicide Prevention, who was not involved in the study, stated that these findings underscore long-recognized concepts about human well-being. "Loneliness has significant and severe consequences for individual physical health and emotional well-being," Rudd said. "We're social beings, and relationships are essential to health, happiness and survival."
Rudd noted that the findings are particularly relevant during a time of increasing isolation, influenced by digital technologies. He added that while limitations exist in such studies, this nearly four-decade longitudinal research offers valuable contributions to understanding human behavior. Rudd emphasized that for divorcees and the widowed, understanding the critical importance of relationships and social engagement is key, whether those connections are romantic or not.