New study reveals who's at risk for depression after divorce

It makes sense that someone would feel depressed after going through a divorce. After all, people typically get married in the hopes of staying together for life. But many people get divorced and need to seek treatment for depression, such as Effexor or therapy.

Some people are resistant to seeking help for depression. A new study by researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of Virginia showed who is most at risk for depression after the dissolution of their marriage. The study, published in the August 2013 edition of Clinical Psychological Science, used data from the nationally representative Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS). They found that there was an elevated risk of depression, and, at a follow up,around 60 percent of adults who had a history of depression had a depressive episode after their divorce. When individuals who were married - both with a history of depression and without - were assessed together, there was no elevated risk of future depression and upon follow up, only 10 percent had had a depressive episode.

The research reveals that divorce can trigger an underlying risk for depression, but it does not in and of itself increase the rate of mental and emotional stress among the population. People who do not have a history of depression are not more at risk for it due to divorce. This research gives clinicians insight into who needs the most help after divorce - those with a previous history of mental and emotional stress - but one of the lead researchers, psychological scientist David Sbarra, cautioned that more research must be done to determine what the exact link is.

"Do these people blame themselves for the divorce? Do they ruminate more about the separation? Are they involved in a particularly acrimonious separation? These questions deserve much greater attention," Sbarro said.