Poverty

Background of issue

A divorce or separation signifies the end or breakdown of a previously intimate relationship between two individuals. It is marked by significant changes and has far reaching emotional, physical, social, political and economical implications for all those involved. The effects of separation or divorce can be long-lived and traumatic in nature as it often involves life changing experiences and transitions from one state of being to another. Issues concerning grief and loss are especially pertinent as we explore the topic of ‘Depression after separation and divorce.’ There are a various reasons why people may divorce or separate including the death of a partner and thus the emotions and responses evoked may vary considerably from person to person and from situation to situation. Therefore, every individual would deal with the perceived loss according to their subjective experience of the divorce or separation. There is nonetheless an apparent though complex relationship between depression and the way our minds and bodies react to the highly stressful experiences associated with divorce and separation.

Depression is an internal stress state and therefore each depressed person would experience the condition differently and the severity of symptoms varies by individual and over time. Some people may exhibit a few of the following symptoms while some have many: persistent sad, anxious or empty mood, feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, decreased energy, fatigue, inability to act, difficulty in concentrating, remembering and making decisions, insomnia or oversleeping, loss of appetite and/or weight loss, or overeating and weight gain, restlessness, irritability, persistent symptoms that do not respond to treatment, thoughts of death or suicide and or suicide attempts (Helping Guides understanding & helping the suicidal person, National Institute of Mental Health 2000). It is also important to recognise that children can often also be depressed following a divorce or family separation. After all they too must adjust to significant changes and losses in their lives whilst learning to make sense and cope with their new situation. Some signs that might indicate depression in a child are loss of spontaneity, excessive brooding, irrational fears and/or clinginess, anger and acting out behavior, loss of interest in favorite activities, sleep and/or eating problems, dramatic drops in grades and drug or alcohol use, self injury or sexual promiscuity.

Suffice it to say the emotional state of divorced spouses or separated partners and families is often in a state of turmoil and stress particularly in the period immediately following the separation. The situation can also be exacerbated when practical decisions such as the division of assets, financial and child-care arrangements must be agreed upon. From the data presented in the article Sole Parent Families in Volume 211 of Issues in Society, between 1986 and 2001, the number of one-parent families in Australia increased by 53% and this increase was largely associated with an increase in the number of separated and divorced people. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2003 on Household Income and Income Distribution, people living in sole parent family households received the lowest average equivalised disposable household income ($329 per week) for any type of household in 2000-2001. Over half (53%) of one parent households were reliant on government pensions and allowances as their principal source of income. Consistent with this, the average number of earners was low, at 0.7 per household, compared with an average household size of 3.0 people. It is important to note that poverty in Australia is understood in relative rather then absolute terms as it is measured in relation to the situation of others in the community. Therefore, people in poverty is those considered to lack the economic resources to enjoy the lifestyle and consumption patterns set by community norms and standards of living as opposed to absolute deprivation or subsistence poverty. One parent families is one specific group in Australia recognised as being relatively disadvantaged and associated with such economic disadvantage is problems related to poor education, poor housing, social exclusion, poor health, crime and a lack of opportunity for children.

Inevitably, the effects of divorce and separation has implications not only for the individuals and family members directly involved, but also on the wider community and the government with regards to the provision of income support, children’s welfare and housing, health and education services etc. The Federal Government currently provides a wide range of government and non-government services to support separating families through agencies such as Centrelink, the Child support Agency, the Family court of Australia and other programs funded by the Department of Family and Community Services. The Australian Institute of Family Studies was also formed as an independent statutory organisation and is Australia’s leading provider of research and information on family functioning and wellbeing.