67% divorce rate for MSers found in study may be misleading

[ActiveMSers]

A recent study out of Denmark casts a rather dim outlook on divorce rates for MSers over time, but one major factor was not weighed (nor could it be): disease modifying therapies. I cannot tell you how many neuros I've talked to who are almost giddy at how well a majority of their patients are doing. This study ONLY looked at Danes diagnosed between 1980-1989, well before Betaseron and other treatments became available. Even so, it serves as a reminder that while we need to work on keeping ourselves healthy, we need to also work on keeping our relationships healthy. - Dave


Social consequences of multiple sclerosis. Part 2. Divorce and separation: a historical prospective cohort study.

Pfleger C, Flachs E, Koch-Henriksen N.

Department of Neurology, Arhus University Hospital in Aalborg, Denmark.

Background: There is a need for follow-up studies of the familial situation of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.Objectives: To evaluate the probability of MS patients to remain in marriage or relationship with the same partner after onset of MS in comparison with the population.Patients and methods: All 2538 Danes with onset of MS 1980-1989, retrieved from the Danish MS-Registry, and 50,760 matched and randomly drawn control persons were included. Information on family status was retrieved from Statistics Denmark. Cox analyses were used with onset as starting point.Results: Five years after onset, the cumulative probability of remaining in the same relationship was 86% in patients vs. 89% in controls. The probabilities continued to deviate, and at 24 years, the probability was 33% in patients vs. 53% in the control persons (p < 0.001). Among patients with young onset (< 36 years of age), those with no children had a higher risk of divorce than those having children less than 7 years (Hazard Ratio 1.51; p < 0.0001), and men had a higher risk of divorce than women (Hazard Ratio 1.33; p <
0.01).Conclusion: MS significantly affects the probability of remaining in the same relationship compared with the background population.

[Lucia]

Hhhhmmmmm......I'm wondering if any major illness would also cause a high divorce rate? Would someone who had a spouse that had RA or diabetes be quicker to divorce than someone whose spouse had MS?

I mean gee, divorce rates are high in the U.S. in general. Based on a 2005 survey, it was over 40% for the first marriage and the rate goes higher if you're in your 2nd, third marriage (50-70%).

I could only image the divorce rate when we were in the height of the recession.

It stands to reason then that anything major could tip the balance (like a major disease or other type of turmoil).