This paper examines the association between chronic illness and union dissolution by examining rich, longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. Using competing-risks discrete-time event-history models on longitudinal, dyadic data, we find the risk of union dissolution to be approximately 40 percent higher when either partner reports an illness than in the absence of an illness. We then examine whether the observed associations are mediated by variations in paid work, housework, financial stress and time stress. Financial stress is the factor that contributes most to the indirect associations between dissolution and partner’s health condition, but overall these factors account for only 18.5 percent of the association between chronic illness and relationship dissolution. Our results provide further insight into the factors undermining relationship stability and highlight the importance of reducing financial stress associated with chronic illness.

本文通过研究来自澳大利亚家庭、收入和劳动力动态 (HILDA) 调查的丰富纵向数据，研究了慢性病与解散工会之间的关联。在纵向、二元数据上使用竞争风险离散时间事件历史模型，我们发现当任何一方报告疾病时，工会解散的风险比没有疾病的情况高约 40%。然后，我们检查观察到的关联是否由有偿工作、家务劳动、财务压力和时间压力的变化所调节。经济压力是影响解除与伴侣健康状况之间间接关联的最大因素，但总体而言，这些因素仅占慢性疾病与关系解除之间关联的 18.5%。