Till sickness do us part

CAREGIVING: STUDY SHOWS WIVES WHO FALL ILL ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE LEFT

- Hein Kaiser

ill death do us part is a vow every couple makes when they tie the knot.

It's a promise that matters, because when things hits the fan, partners turn to their spouses for comfort, support, guidance and love.

Yet when serious illness enters a marriage, it seems that throupling-up with a condition that could make someone gravely ill, is not everyone's cup of tea.

Research has hinted at a not-so-great pattern of when wives fall seriously ill, divorce rates rise. When husbands do, marriages tend to remain glued.

A recent large-scale study by Karraker and Latham, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, examined the impact of serious illnesses on marriages in middle age and older.

Their findings suggested that only a wife's illness predicted an increased risk of divorce. The same did not hold true for husbands.

Another study published on ScienceDaily revealed an even starker contrast. It read that women diagnosed with cancer or multiple sclerosis were found to be six times more likely to experience divorce or separation soon after their diagnosis than if the man in the relationship were the patient.