Research
- Current Research Seeking Separated Men
- Research Findings Related to Men & Separation
- Index of Research
Current Research Seeking Separated Men
Griffith University Study - What is the Impact of Marital and De Facto Separation on Males?
Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), Griffith University is conducting a study which investigate the impact of marital and de facto separation on men's psychological well-being.
Relationship breakdown can be extremely stressful for those involved and can, at times, even lead someone to question their own life. However, little is known about what causes the most distress and at what point during the separation process. This information is crucial for the development of appropriate support which helps to reduce the stress experienced during the separation.
AISRAP is currently recruiting people who are going through separation. We are seeking men who have experienced a separation in the past 12 months and those who are not yet divorced or yet to finalised de facto relationship separation.
Participants are asked to complete two 30 minutes questionnaires (one now and one in 6 months time). This study has ethical clearance from the Griffith University Ethics Committee (CSR/03/04/HREC) and all the information provided will be treated with the highest confidentiality and results will remain anonymous.
How to Participate in the Study?
Please access the study web site:
http://www.griffith.edu.au/marital-study
or e-mail:
or call:
(07) 3735 3338, Marital and de facto separation study team
Click here to download a flyer for this study.
Research Findings Related to Men & Separation
Periodically interesting new research findings become available on, or related to, the subject of men and separation, including men's relationship with their children.
MENDS aims to make interested parties' access to these findings easier via this page. New and particularly relevant older studies will be listed, linked or downloadable from here.
We are always interested to hear of new research as it becomes available, so please advise us of valuable new material in this area.
Index of Research
- Jordan Report - Effects of Marital Separation on Men
- Marital Breakdown, Parenthood and Suicide
- Assessment Outcomes of MENDS Clients
The Effects of Marital Separation on Men - 10 Years On - Peter Jordan
(Family Court of Australia - The effects of marital separation on men - 10 years on, by Peter Jordan, Research Report No 14, November 1996).
Full copies of this report are available from the library of most Family Courts of Australia.
Executive Summary Extract
Most Traumatic Period
The most traumatic period for the respondents of both the 1984 sample and the 1994 sample was at the time of separation . This feature was significant in each sample and across each of the scales of psychological wellbeing, health complaints/symptoms and practical living problems. This factor highlights the need for services for men to focus on this particular time period before men may choose to shut down their hurt by suppressing or externalising it. (page 3)
General Conclusions
When factors from each of the 1984, the 1994 and the follow-up samples were combined it was established that living alone was the main predictive factor of who would find coping with marital separation difficult. It is this factor which therefore needs to be given close attention by counsellors and those involved with assisting men to cope with separation.
The data from the samples surveyed in 1994 indicated that there has been little change in men's attitudes and feelings about relationships over the past decade. Further the data suggested that there may even be a trend towards women being blamed to a greater extent by men for their relationship ending in the 1990s than in the 1980s. This trend was not surprising for the researcher, whose work as a counsellor within the Family Court suggests that men are now more likely to verbalise their anger and distress, about losing their marriages, towards their ex-wife and the Family Court in particular and governments and society in general, This trend underlines the importance of services to be attention to the needs of men in this situation and to provide them with the time, consideration and opportunities to be heard and understood.
It was evident that the majority of respondents had found ways and means to deal with the loss of a relationship, with many of them moving into new relationships. However, while the respondents reported that they were confident about coping with life some one to two years after separating, this research also raised the question of underlying feelings and attachments about their past relationship remaining with the men for many years after separation.
In the 1994 sample there were indications of more men having problems with health complaints/symptoms and finance which may suggest higher levels of stress in the 1990s. However, this is an area which requires more investigation as it may also be the case that in the 1990s more men are prepared to acknowledge personal problems than in the 198Os.
Of significance in this research was the extent to which the men valued their relationships and their children. Unfortunately it- would seem they did not spend the effort and time necessary to maintain and nurture the relationship prior to separation, or maybe that they did not know how to or that they were reluctant or unwilling to seek outside assistance. For men, one of the great challenges is to reconsider and possibly redevelop their working and social lives so that their relationships and families receive the priority necessary for ongoing nurture and maintenance. (page 4)
Marital Breakdown, Parenthood and Suicide
Christopher H. Cantor and Penelope J. Slater, Suicide Research and Prevention Program , Princess Alexandria Hospital, Queensland.
Journal of Family Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2, October 1995, pp.91-102.
This is a particularly valuable study in that it identified people who were separated from various other categories of suicide. Statistics normally classify people as married, single, divorced or widowed, which creates the problem that people in the high-risk separated group get classified as married, thereby creating misleading outcomes both for the married group, who would appear at increased risk, and the separated group, on whom no accurate data had been available, but whom are shown here at extreme risk.
We would draw the attention of any interested parties to the following request by Chris Cantor, and stress the estimated 600 plus lives lost to suicide per year among separated men (not to mention separated women, about whose details we at MENDS are less familiar, but no less concerned).
"I am hoping to replicate the earlier study and take it a step further. At present funds are a major problem. We are running on the smell of an oily rag with total external funding for the whole Institute being only $100,000 per year. If you happen to know of any benevolent sources of say $20-30,000 we may be able to get the project finished sooner. Otherwise we may have to hope that opportunities present next year." Chris Cantor - October 1998
This study was conducted in Queensland between 1990 and 1992 inclusive, covering 1375 subjects. Key findings were:
- Separated (compared with married) males were six times more likely to suicide, and this was greater in younger groups.
- Separated female suicide rates were not significantly elevated, but in the divorce phase both male and female rates were similarly elevated.
- Males were particularly vulnerable to suicide associated with interpersonal conflict in the separation phase.
- It is possible that females may be protected against suicide by child rearing responsibilities....
Copies of this paper should be available from the library at:
Australian Institute of Family Studies
300 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: 61 3 9214 7888, Fax: 61 3 9214 7839
Assessment Outcomes of MENDS Clients
MENDS is committed to thorough assessment of all men commencing the program and to the retesting of all program graduates on completion in order to monitor and measure changes in critical risk areas for all clients (e.g. suicidality, depression, anxiety etc). This process not only increases our capacity to provide a more objective duty-of-care, but also enables confidence that the program is having a positive impact on our clients.
In order to achieve this, an instrument (paper and pencil test) called the Personality Assessment InventoryT (PAI) is utilised over and above standard pre-course interviews and surveys. This instrument is employed because of its proven track record in effectively measuring risk-indicators and providing reliable snap-shots of client functioning; including their strengths/weaknesses, social support systems, self-judgements and levels of motivation for change.
Despite the inherent challenges and costs associated with this process, MENDS has been able to systematically amass a credible database of client information whilst using a strict regime to ensure client confidentiality. PAI results are collated on a course-by-course and State-by-State basis to allow for further service delivery comparisons and continuous refinements of the MENDS program.
Results of nationally collated data and outcomes are represented below. The changes in client functioning (i.e. comparison of pre (A) and post (B) measures) are further subjected to scientific scrutiny by use of statistical analysis (one-tailed 't' tests) to provide a probability called 'p'. The 'p' value tells us the probability that such changes (i.e. from the commencement to finish of the program) occurred by chance. That is to say; that the lower the 'p' value, the more confident we can be that changes did not in fact occur by chance. In other words, the lower the 'p', then it is more likely that the changes occurred as a result of the program. The internationally accepted probability below which this confidence exists is p< 0.05 or 1/20; so the results speak for themselves.
The objective results obtained by use of the PAI and subsequent analysis, strongly corroborates verbal feedback and surveys obtained from clients who consistently report feeling better about their lives and their futures.
MENDS Program Outcomes; Positive Changes to High Risk Indicators - Summary
The following summary table of program outcomes are intended for interpretation by the professional health community only. This data set was as at September 1, 2001.
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means
TOTAL DATA SET (N=488)
SCALE |
t one-tail |
t two-tail |
ICN |
5.18E-09 |
1.04E-08 |
NIM |
3.49E-11 |
6.98E-11 |
SOM |
7.21E-11 |
1.44E-10 |
ANX |
2.5E-17 |
4.99E-17 |
ARD |
2.03E-17 |
4.06E-17 |
DEP |
1.88E-23 |
3.75E-23 |
PAR |
1.15E-12 |
2.29E-12 |
SCZ |
4.45E-22 |
8.9E-22 |
BOR |
7.69E-19 |
1.54E-18 |
ALC |
1.01E-05 |
2.01E-05 |
DRG |
6.15E-05 |
0.000123 |
AGG |
4.16E-08 |
8.32E-08 |
SUI |
8.97E-12 |
1.79E-11 |
STR |
5.11E-22 |
1.02E-21 |
NON |
1.07E-21 |
2.13E-21 |
RXR |
1E-20 |
2E-20 |
WRM |
1.89E-10 |
3.78E-10 |
Note: MENDS PAI outcomes are independently analysed blind.
