Divorce and assortative mating among depressed patients.

Fifty-six married depressed patients were studied together with their spouses an average of 2 years after their discharge from the hospital. Thirty of the patients had psychiatrically ill spouses and 26 had psychiatrically well spouses. On follow-up the group as a whole had a divorce rate nine times the expected rate for the population. Couples in which both members were ill had a significantly higher divorce rate than couples in which only one member was affected. The authors suggest that the psychiatric status of the spouse of a depressed patient may be a significant factor in marital maladjustment and divorce.