Who Divorces and Why

Abstract

This review of recent literature on the whos and whys of divorce examines data on the frequency of divorce and research on the predivorce period. The still lingering emphasis on a pathological perspective to explain marital dissolution is posited as a reason for the focus of much of the divorce literature on demography rather than process or outcome. Societal and legal explanations for the increase in the divorce rate are explored. Demographic correlates, mental and physical health issues, and the reasons the divorced themselves give for the decision to end their marriages are reviewed. The article concludes with an examination of techniques and topic areas that would help move future research away from static descriptions and toward an integrated explanation of the divorce process.