April 21, 2020
William Axinn suspects marriage could become independent risk factor for depression
William Axinn believes that during this time of lockdowns and economic disruption due to COVID-19, bad marriages are harder to escape and could become a risk factor for depression: “Unfortunately, domestic violence is widespread in all settings, with clear adverse consequences for mental health. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the U.S. experience of marriage. We are seeing press reports of higher domestic violence all over the world…Time will tell, but if this is true, then rates of major depressive disorder among the married are likely to increase, especially among women, at least relative to what they were before COVID-19.”
Read the full interview about Axinn’s research on the social context of marriage in Nepal and the similarities with marriage in the United States.
Original study: William G. Axinn et al. The association between marital transitions and the onset of major depressive disorder in a south asian general population, Journal of Affective Disorders (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.069