BLACK MEN AND DIVORCE: IMPLICATIONS FOR CULTURALLY COMPETENT PRACTICE.

Divorce takes a particularly heavy toll on black men, resulting in mental health problems that commonly present as physiological symptoms

Introduction

The structure of the black family has undergone significant change over the past 30 year. [1,3] One dramatic aspect has been a loosening of the marital bonds. The proportion of black couples who have divorced has increased, and the proportion of black couples who have married has declined. [1] Two thirds of all black marriages end in divorce, and 2 of 3 black children will experience the dissolution of their parents' marriage by the time they reach age 16. [4]

The increased divorce rate among blacks has contributed to a decrease in the number of black 2-parent families. In 1970, 68% of black families had both the husband and wife present. This number dropped to just 50% in 1990, a decrease of 18 percentage points over 20 years, compared with a 6-percentage-point decrease over the same time period for white families. [5] Black wives and husbands are also more likely to separate. Sixteen percent of black couples between the ages of 18 and 44 have separated, versus 4% of comparable white couples. [4] Racial differences in divorce and separation rates persist, independent of education and parental marital status. [1,6-9]

Divorce necessitates tremendous psychological, social, and economic adjustments. There is the severance of complex marital bonds, negotiation of child custody arrangements, and adjustment to a single lifestyle. [10-12]

Divorce also has health consequences. Increases in the use of alcohol, nicotine, and illicit drugs; hypertension; and even suicide can result following divorce. [13] Compared with their married counterparts, divorced men are especially at risk. Divorced men have a lower life expectancy and experience a poorer prognosis following a medical diagnosis. [13] To date, though, few studies have focused specifically on the health consequences of divorce among black men.

Health care professionals can play an important role in addressing the impact of marital dissolution on black men. First, they are in a strategic position to recognize the similarities and differences of divorce between white and black males and to individualize treatment. Second, health care practitioners are in a unique position to uncover anxiety disorders. These disorders, especially in black men, often go undetected and untreated. [12,14,15] This article considers the physiological and psychological consequences of divorce among working/middle-class black men (Table 1) and examines the implications for health care practitioners.