Upcoming Events :
Seminar: Outsourcing and Contract Procurement
Tue 28 Feb 2012
Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB
Divorce rates 'high among caring professions'
Mon 07 Dec 2009
People in caring professions such as psychiatry and nursing are among the most likely to get divorced, a new study has revealed.
Research published in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology correlated professions with divorce rates in an attempt to identify any prevailing trends.
The findings showed that nurses have a 28 per cent chance of their marriage breaking down, while a similar rate was recorded among psychiatrists.
According to the British Psychological Society, this could be partly because they spend too long caring for others at the expense of their own families.
Dai Williams, a chartered occupational psychologist at the group, also speculated that those in caring professions such as nursing are naturally sensitive people.
As a result, they could be more vulnerable and sensitive in their own relationships.
However, the study showed that some sectors of healthcare did buck this trend, with opticians for example seeing a relatively low divorce rate.
Mr Williams said this is because while they often meet lots of people, they do not have time to develop a bond with them.
The findings come after a poll of solicitors by Unbiased.co.uk found that two-thirds expect more couples to draw up a prenuptial agreement before getting married over the next five years.
Carol Ellinas, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood, commented: "Working long hours in any stressful job can put a strain on a relationship.
"Singling out particular professions can be misleading.
"We would recommend that anyone considering marriage should at least take legal advice as to whether they should be considering a prenuptial agreement."
