After separation or divorce, don't let your medical insurance lapse, and don't prop yourself up with alcohol

Moderate value
Evidence A
Buys life
Free
Takes minutes
Some willpower

If you are thinking about suicide right now, call or text 988. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

In plain words

People who are separated or divorced are clearly more likely to die early than people who are still married, and the rise is larger for men and for younger people. This is not necessarily caused by the divorce; divorced people may differ in health and income to begin with. Two things you can manage yourself: don't let your medical insurance and checkups lapse, and don't prop yourself up with cigarettes and alcohol.

Cost: Free. Keep your medical insurance going and stop the drinking. The hard part is that this is a time when it is easy to lean on alcohol.
What you get: 32 studies that enrolled people first and followed them afterward were pooled, covering more than 6,500,000 (650万) people, 160,000 (16万) deaths, more than 755,000 (75.5万) divorces and 11 countries. Compared with people who were still married, separated or divorced adults had a clearly higher risk of early death. For men and younger people, the rise was more pronounced than for women and older people. The authors discuss four possible pathways. One is social selection: people who were healthier, or whose circumstances differed to begin with, are more likely to end up divorced. Two is interrupted resources: income and protection are cut off. Three is changed health behaviors: worse smoking, drinking and sleep. Four is chronic psychological stress (long-term tension).
Notes: The original says only “clearly higher” and gives group comparisons, with no multiples that can be quoted, so no specific figures are written here. The size of the benefit is rated medium because the direction is known, but there is no reduction to apply a cutoff to. For property, debt and bride price at divorce, see §8 and §10. For custody and support arrangements for children, see §18.
Evidence grade: A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
Sources: Sbarra DA, et al. (2011). Divorce and Death: A Meta-Analysis and Research Agenda for Clinical, Social, and Health Psychology. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611414724

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 29, tip 10. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer