Divorced baby boomers unhappy and unhealthy

Divorced Australians over the age of 55 are more likely to have problems with their health and generally be unhappy than people of the same age who are married, new research suggests.

According to a study conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies entitled Divorce and the Wellbeing of Older Australians, those of the baby boomer generation who are single as a result of divorce are prone to higher levels of personal dissatisfaction than those who are married or who are single because their partner has died.

The report's co-author Matthew Gray said that more people of this generation are likely to be divorced because of changes to "social norms", and highlighted the fact that divorced over-55s who are still likely to be unhappy, no matter how many years they have been single, the Australian reports.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Gray said: "Until recently, the number of divorced older people was relatively small but it has grown rapidly in recent times. The baby boomers are moving through and are more likely to be divorced than previous generations mainly due to shifting social norms and no-fault divorce.

"We are talking about a significant section of the population. In 1996, 9.6 per cent of those aged 50-59 had been divorced. In 2006, it was 15 per cent and it's likely to continue to grow even faster."