Charting Self-Esteem During Marital Dissolution

Divorce is a significant life event that may trickle into many areas of life, affecting a person’s finances, living situation and social world. However, studies suggest that divorce can sometimes lead to positive benefits too, such as personal growth.

A longitudinal study published in the Journal of Personality suggests that there are individual differences in the way a person’s self-esteem fluctuates during a divorce. However, there seems to be an overall tendency for self-esteem to dissipate in the year before a marriage ends and to stabilize in the years following divorce. The full study can be reviewed here.

This article was submitted by Alex Miller, Wanzer Edwards PC. If you would like to submit content or write an article for the Family Law Section, please email Kara Sikorski at ksikorski@indybar.org.