After a divorce, study shows that more women experience greater happiness than men

New studies and personal stories show that after divorce, women often feel much better, both in their minds and bodies.

Researchers at London’s Kingston University found that women become happier and more satisfied with life when their marriages end.

According to a study in Economica, this happiness lasts up to five years after the marriage ends. Surprisingly, these women are even happier than their usual level of happiness throughout their lives.

For over two decades, researchers in the UK surveyed 10,000 individuals aged 16 to 60 to understand their happiness levels before and after significant life events.

They found that while men experienced a slight increase in happiness after divorce, it was not as significant as the boost observed in women.

Yannis Georgellis, who heads the Centre for Research in Employment, Skills, and Society (CRESS) at Kingston Business School, explained, “In the study, we took into account the fact that divorce can sometimes have a negative financial impact on women, but despite that it still makes them much happier than men.”

He suggested that this could be because women feel more liberated after leaving unhappy marriages, unlike men.

The study looked at how people handle changes, called “adaptation.”

It found that folks can swiftly recover from tough situations, like losing a spouse.

Meanwhile, some argue that women cope better after divorce because they often initiate it, leading to their increased happiness.

However, this overlooks the diverse reasons why women seek divorce, which may not necessarily be related to personal happiness.

In many cases, women file for divorce reluctantly, as it’s not their preferred outcome.

Women generally desire a happy marriage, but if they see it’s not possible, many are comfortable seeking a divorce in today’s society, according to Divorced Mom.

Despite the various reasons for divorce—such as abandonment, a spouse’s midlife crisis, abuse, or infidelity—the ability of women to recover and move forward isn’t determined by the cause.

While divorce is challenging, women have options afterward.

They can either dwell on the pain or rebuild their lives.

In most cases, women choose to move forward and focus on living.

After divorce, women, compared to men, tend to seek therapy more often and rely on strong support networks of friends and family.

They use introspection and focus on the future as emotional coping methods, avoiding unhealthy distractions like substance abuse or rebound relationships.

Women also embrace new experiences and prioritize self-care, leading to better post-separation adjustment and happiness.

However, this doesn’t mean women are inherently emotionally stronger. Still, their diverse coping strategies contribute to their ability to move on and thrive after divorce.

Paul R. Amato, a sociologist at Penn State University, studied how separation affects adults and children in his 2000 research, Greater Good Magazine noted.

He discovered that many individuals thrived after divorce, feeling more independent and experiencing personal growth.

Specifically, women gained self-confidence and control, while divorced mothers saw improvements in job opportunities, social lives, and happiness.

Amato suggests that previous studies focused only on separation’s negatives, but exploring positive outcomes could reveal more benefits of divorce.

Susan Pease Gadoua, a therapist and writer in the San Francisco Bay Area, has been helping women navigate life changes, particularly divorce, since 2000.

She often hears women express shame and failure due to societal views that measure success in marriage by lifelong commitment.

Divorce is often seen as a failure, regardless of the circumstances.

While older adults may still feel these pressures, Gadoua observes that younger clients are less affected by societal judgments.

“There’s definitely less stigma, and it’s not uncommon to hear from women who come to see me that they’re on their second divorce, even third. That’s quite prevalent. Those numbers don’t seem to matter anymore,” she said.

Watch Life Coach Stephanie Lyn talks about the rebuilding process after divorce:

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