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Divorce and well-being. Disentangling the role of stress and socio economic status

Author

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  • Cavapozzi, Danilo
  • Fiore, Simona
  • Pasini, Giacomo

Abstract

We investigate the happiness variations associated with divorce by drawing data from a retrospective panel dataset based on the third wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and covering 14 European countries. This dataset proposes as a powerful tool to control for reporting style heterogeneity in happiness self-evaluations. Indeed, in addition to individual fixed-effects, we control for full migration trajectories in order to remove bias in well-being evaluations produced by cross-country heterogeneity in the cultural norms and societal values individuals have been exposed during their life-cycle. Happiness is found to increase in the period after divorce for both men and women. We show that this pattern goes through a decrease in stress and financial hardship.

Suggested Citation

  • Cavapozzi, Danilo & Fiore, Simona & Pasini, Giacomo, 2020. "Divorce and well-being. Disentangling the role of stress and socio economic status," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joecag:v:16:y:2020:i:c:s2212828x19300994
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2019.100212
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Belloc, Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2025. "When wealth hurts: Inheritances and the health of older Europeans," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 32(C).
    2. Magdalena Grabowska & Agata Górny & Małgorzata Kalbarczyk, 2024. "Why the Happiest Moments in Life are Sometimes Short? The Role of Psychological Traits and Socio-Economic Circumstances," Working Papers 2024-06, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Warsaw.
    3. Vidal-Meliá, Carlos, 2025. "Divorce Insurance: A Concept Ahead of Its Time or Doomed to Fail?," Documentos de Trabajo del ICAE 2025-02, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Instituto Complutense de Análisis Económico.
    4. Anqi Li & Shiko Maruyama, 2024. "Who suffered most in the pandemic? A distribution regression analysis of happiness in Japan," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 75(4), pages 637-690, December.
    5. Raluca E. Buia & Mesfin G. Genie & Cristina Elisa Orso & Giacomo Pasini, 2022. "Immigration and the utilization of preventive care in Europe: Results from retrospective data," Working Papers 2022:04, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality

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