OTTAWA – A new study says people whose marriages have broken up are at higher risk of depression than those who remain with their spouse, but men appear to take the separation harder.

The Statistics Canada study found that men who had divorced or separated were six times more likely to report an episode of depression than men who remained married, while women who had undergone marital break-ups were 3.5 times more likely to have had bouts of depression than their counterparts who were still in relationships.

The study also found that marital break-up relation to depression was independent of other factors often associated with breakups, such as changes in household income, in social support or in the number of children in the household.

The study found that most people who suffered depression in the post-relationship period were no longer depressed four years after the break-up.

The survey found that 12 per cent of people whose relationship had ended reported a new episode of depression while just three per cent of those who remained in a relationship had suffered new depression.