Heterogeneity in Trajectories of Depression in Response to Divorce Is Associated With Differential Risk for Mortality

Abstract

Divorce is a common stressful event associated with both increased rates of depression and mortality. Given evidence of significant individual differences in depression following major life stressors, we examined if heterogeneous depression responses confer differential risk for mortality. Data from a population-based longitudinal study was utilized to identify individuals who experienced divorce ( n = 559). Prospective trajectories of depression severity from before to after divorce were identified using latent growth mixture modeling, and rates of mortality between trajectories were compared as a distal outcome. Four trajectories demonstrated strongest model fit: resilience (67%), emergent depression (10%), chronic pre- to postdivorce depression (12%), and decreasing depression (11%). Mortality base rate was 9.7% by 6 years postevent, and depression that emerged due to divorce was associated with significantly greater mortality risk compared to resilient (odds ratio [OR] = 2.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.05, 5.81]) and to married individuals, whereas chronic depression was not associated with greater risk.