A long-running Norwegian study has found that people who are divorced or widowed may face a higher risk of death than those who remain coupled.

The findings, published in BMJ Public Health, analyzed health and mortality data over nearly four decades.

Researchers evaluated national health records from about 60,000 participants who were either married or living with a partner at the start of the study period, between 1984 and 2019.

The data were divided into three groups of approximately 20,000 individuals each, tracking their marital status and health outcomes across time.

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During follow-up assessments, participants were classified as still married or cohabiting, divorced or moved out, or widowed. Death records were examined through January 2020 to identify potential links between relationship status and mortality.

The analysis found that divorce or breakup was consistently associated with a higher mortality risk compared to those who continued living with a partner. This trend was observed across all study waves even when adjusting for variables like age, gender, lifestyle habits, self-rated health, and loneliness.

Widowhood was also associated with an increased mortality risk, roughly 14 percent higher than that of coupled individuals. The effect was strongest during the earliest period of observation, suggesting that the loss of a partner may have the greatest impact soon after it occurs.

In later years, the data showed that the relationship between breakup and mortality became more pronounced among women. The statistical significance of this association was found only in the female subgroup during the second study period.

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The researchers cautioned that while these results reveal a compelling connection between living alone and earlier death, the findings do not establish a causal relationship. They emphasized the need to account for underlying factors that could influence both relationships and health outcomes.

The study authors noted that their conclusions highlight the importance of addressing social disconnection in public health strategies and clinical care. They suggested that such efforts could help reduce preventable deaths linked to isolation and loss.

M. David Rudd, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Memphis and director of the Rudd Institute for Veteran & Military Suicide Prevention, commented on the findings. Although he was not involved in the research, Rudd said the results reinforce a long-understood truth about human connectivity.

“Loneliness has significant and severe consequences for individual physical health and emotional well-being,” Rudd said. “We're social beings, and relationships are essential to health, happiness and survival.”

He also noted that the current era of increasing digital isolation makes these conclusions “particularly salient,” as technology-induced disconnection has grown more common in everyday life.

Despite the inherent limitations of observational studies, Rudd highlighted the strength of the data set, which spans nearly four decades. He called the study “remarkably important” for understanding patterns of human behavior related to relationship status and health.

Rudd added that maintaining meaningful connections remains a cornerstone of well-being. He emphasized that these don’t have to be romantic relationships—social ties of all kinds help support mental and physical health.

“It’s really simple,” Rudd said. “Developing, nurturing and maintaining relationships is critical to health, well-being and happiness.”

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