Does Divorce Affect Happiness?

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 42 Sayı: 2, 365 - 386, 30.12.2022

Zeynep B. Uğur

https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2022.42.2.0041

Öz

The pursuit of happiness is a legitimate and plausible aim in life for many people. This study investigates the relationship between divorce and happiness with regard to different reference groups. For this purpose, individual-level data from the Life Satisfaction Survey, a suvey conducted annually since 2003, have been utilized for the 2003-2019 period. The study first shows divorcees to have considerably lower wellbeing compared to never-married and married individuals. This finding indicates the negative consequences of divorce. When compared to married people in unsatisfactory marriages, however, divorcees have statistically significantly higher well-being levels. Lastly, the results show that people adjust to their divorce over time to an extent, with their happiness increasing after one year of adaption period. In conclusion, the family mediation mechanism can to an extent prevent divorces caused by impulsive behaviors as long as the mediators remind the couple of the burdens of divorce in light of scientific studies and help the couple make rational decisions.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Divorce, Happiness, Wellbeing, Family mediation, Turkiye

Boşanmanın Mutluluğa Bir Etkisi Var mı?

Öz

Mutlu bir hayat sürmek insanlar için meşru ve anlamlı bir gayedir. Bu araştırmada boşanma ile mutluluk arasındaki ilişki değişik referans kategorileri bağlamında incelenmektedir. Bunun için 2003 yılından bu yana her yıl düzenli olarak yapılan Yaşam Memnuniyeti Araştırmasının 2003-2019 döneme ait fert düzeyindeki verileri kullanılmaktadır. Elde edilen bulgulara göre, boşanmış kişilerin mutluluğu hiç evlenmemiş kişilere kıyasla da evlilere kıyasla da büyük ölçüde daha düşüktür. Bu bulgu boşanmanın kişilerde açtığı yaralara işaret etmektedir. Bununla beraber, mutsuz bir evliliği sürdüren kişilere kıyasla, boşanmış kişilerin mutluluk seviyesi anlamlı ölçüde yüksektir. Son olarak, bulgularımız insanların zaman içinde boşanmaya uyum sağladığını göstermektedir. Aile arabuluculuğu mekanizmasının, boşanmanın kişiye getirdiği yükleri bilimsel çalışmalar ışığında hatırlatıp, kişilerin rasyonel karar almalarına yardımcı olduğu sürece dürtüsel ya da fevri davranışlar sonucu meydana gelen boşanmaları bir miktar önleyebileceği düşünülmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Boşanma, Mutluluk, İyi olma hali, Aile arabuluculuğu, Türkiye

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