A Comparison of Couples Completing and Not Completing Marital Dissolution in California

Race Differences in the Mental Health Effects of Divorce

“…As discussed above, separations tend to be of longer duration among African Americans (Kitson & Holmes, 1992;Maneker & Rankin, 1997;Sweet & Bumpass, 1987). For example, 35% of all separated women have been separated for less than a year, and approximately 17% have been separated for 10 or more years.…”

“…As noted above, research suggesting that the nature of separation varies for Blacks and Whites underscores the importance of examining stages separately. Separations are not only longer, on average, among non-Whites (Kitson & Holmes, 1992;Maneker & Rankin, 1997;Sweet & Bumpass, 1987), but they are more likely to be followed by reconciliations (Weinberg & McCarthy, 1993) and are less likely to end in divorce (Morgan, 1988). Consistent with these patterns, qualitative work indicates that separation is viewed by divorced African American men as "time contained and the first step toward a reconciliation to work through marital conflict-a 'cooling-off period' or 'taking a vacation from marriage' " (Lawson & Thompson, 1999, p. 207).…”

“…In addition to explanations hinging on features of the Black family and community, several demographic trends lead to the prediction that better mental health would be observed among separated or divorced African Americans compared with Whites. As discussed above, separations tend to be of longer duration among African Americans (Kitson & Holmes, 1992;Maneker & Rankin, 1997;Sweet & Bumpass, 1987). For example, 35% of all separated women have been separated for less than a year, and approximately 17% have been separated for 10 or more years.…”

“…Separation tends to be a brief stage leading to divorce among Whites (Morgan, 1988). In contrast, among African Americans separation is likely to be more protracted (Kitson & Holmes, 1992;Maneker & Rankin, 1997;Sweet & Bumpass, 1987) and involve reconciliations with one's spouse (Wienberg & McCarthy, 1993). These patterns suggest that separation may be particularly stressful for Whites compared with African Americans.…”

“…In this literature, limited attention has been given to temporal issues that may affect race differences observed in the consequences of divorce. African Americans tend to have longer stays in the separated and divorced statuses, on average, than do their White counterparts (Kitson & Holmes, 1992;Maneker & Rankin, 1997;Sweet & Bumpass, 1987). Race differences in the average duration of separation and divorce are relevant to examinations of the mental health effects of marital dissolution because the negative health consequences of transitions to both separation and divorce have been shown to be strongest near the event and decline over time (Booth & Amato, 1991;Kincaid & Caldwell, 1995;Kitson & Holmes, 1992).…”