Abstract
Although the interaction between mental health and marital status has been the object of much social scientific research, little is known about the mental health of never-married people. This article reviews research relevant to mental health and marital status as it pertains to never-marrieds. Methodological problems and current gaps in such research are pointed out. The mental health of never-marrieds is examined from three popular models of mental health—the social protection, social reaction, and social selection models. Each model offers competing explanations for differences in rates between married and unmarried people and between unmarried men and women. Suggestions are offered for improvement in researching the mental health of this neglected group.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ADAMS, M. (1976) Single Blessedness. New York: Basic Books.
BERNARD, J. (1972) The Future of Marriage. New York: World.
BEQUAERT, L. H. (1976) Single Women: Alone and Together. Boston: Beacon.
DOHRENWEND, B. P. and B. S. DOHRENWEND (1969) Social Status and Psychological Disorder: A Causal Inquiry. New York: John Wiley.
GILDER, G. (1974) The Naked Nomads. New York: Quadrangle.
GLENN, N. D. (1975) “The contribution of marriage to the psychological well-being of males and females.” J. of Marriage and Family 37 (August): 594–601.
—— A. A. ROSS, and J. C. TULLY (1974) “Patterns of intergenerational mobility of females through marriage.” Amer. Soc. Rev. 39 (October): 683–699.
GOVE, W. R. (1972) “The relationship between sex roles, marital status and mental illness.” Social Forces 51 (September): 34–44.
—— and M. HUGHES (1979) “Possible causes of the apparent differences in physical health: An empirical investigation.” Amer. Soc. Rev. 44 (February): 126–146.
GURIN, G., J. VEROFF, and S. FELD (1960) Americans View Their Mental Health. New York: Basic Books.
HAVENS, E. M. (1973) “Women, work, and wedlock: a note on female marital patterns in the United States.” Amer. J. of Sociology 78: 975–981.
KNUPFER, G., W. CLARK, and R. ROOM (1966) “The mental health of the unmarried.” Amer. J. of Psychiatry 122 (February): 841–850.
LEE, G. A. (1974) “Marriage and anomie: a causal argument.” J. of Marriage and Family 36: 523–532.
LEMKAU, P. V. (1974) “Epidemiological contributions of psychiatric classification.” Presented at meeting of American Public Health Association, New Orleans, October.
LIBBY, R. W. (1977) “Creative singlehood as a sexual life-style,” in R. W. Libby and R. N. Whitehurst (eds.) Marriage and Alternatives: Exploring Intimate Relationships. Skokie, IL: Scott, Foresman.
PEARLIN, L. I. and J. S. JOHNSON (1977) “Marital status, life strains and depressions.” Amer. Soc. Rev. 42 (October): 704–715.
RADLOFF, L. (1975) “Sex differences in depression: the effects of occupation and marital status. Sex Roles 1: 249–265.
RALLINGS, E. (1966) “Family situations of married and never-married males.” J. of Marriage and Family (November): 485–490.
RESKIN, B. F. and S. COVERMAN (1978) “Sex differences in symptoms of psychological distress—the roles of marriage, kids and jobs.” University of Indiana, August. (unpublished)
SPREITZER, E. and L. RILEY (1974) “Factors associated with singlehood.” J. of Marriage and Family 36 (August): 533–542.
SROLE, L., T. S. LANGNER, S. T. MICHAEL, M. K. OPLER, and T.A.C. RENNIE (1962) Mental Health in the Metropolis: The Midtown Manhattan Study. New York: McGraw-Hill.
STEIN, P. J. (1976) “Being single: bucking the cultural imperative.” Presented at the meeting of the American Sociological Association, New York.
STEIN, Z. and M. SUSSER (1976) “Widowhood and mental illness.” British J. of Preventive Social Medicine 23: 106–110.
TURNER, R. J. and J. W. GARTELL (1978) “Social factors in psychiatric outcome: toward the resolution of interpretive controversies.” Amer. Soc. Rev. 43 (June): 368–382.
UDRY, R. J. (1974) The Social Context of Marriage. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.
U.S. Bureau of the Census (1978) “Marital status and living arrangements: March, 1977,” in Current Population Reports, Series P-20. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
WARHEIT, G. J., C. E. HOLZER III, R. A. BELL, and S. A. AREY (1976) “Sex, marital status and mental health: a reappraisal.” Social Forces 55 (December): 459–470.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Authors' Note:This is a revised version of a paper presented at the meetings of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, San Francisco, 1978.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Anderson, D., Braito, R. The mental health of the never-married. J Fam Econ Iss 4, 108–124 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01082091
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01082091