Men not as resilient to negative life events as many think

LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Divorced men have higher rates of mortality, substance abuse, depression and lack of social support, U.S. researchers say.

Daniel S. Felix of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, W. David Robinson of Utah State University, Logan, and Dr. Kimberly J. Jarzynka of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, said there is an urgent need to recognize and treat men's divorce-related health problems.

The researchers conducted a review of the literature concerning men's health and divorce.

Divorce has been associated with a variety of psychological and behavioral disorders, the researchers said.

Previous studies showed unmarried men live significantly fewer years than married men and tend to have more health problems.

The researchers prepared a case study of a divorced 45-year-old man and recommended how to evaluate his complaints and plan a course of treatment based on current clinical guidelines.

"Popular perception, and many cultures as well as the media present men as tough, resilient and less vulnerable to psychological trauma than women, however, this article serves as a warning signal not to follow such unfounded perceptions," Dr. Ridwan Shabsigh, president of the International Society of Men's Health and chairman of the department of surgery, St. Barnabas Hospital in New York, said in a statement.

"The fact is, men get affected substantially by psychological trauma and negative life events such as divorce, bankruptcy, war and bereavement."

The findings were published in the Journal of Men's Health.