Effects Of Parental Divorce Research Articles

Adaptação psicossocial e saúde física em crianças de pais separados

OBJETIVO: Apresentar uma revisão da literatura sobre os efeitos da separação parental na desadaptação psicológica e nos problemas de saúde física em crianças filhas de pais separados, contribuindo para a integração do conhecimento científico existente à luz do modelo biopsicossocial do impacto da separação na saúde física das crianças de Troxel e Matthews (2004). FONTES DE DADOS: Revisão da literatura utilizando as bases de dados MEDLINE e PsycInfo (1980-2007), selecionando os artigos mais representativos do tema. Foi dada especial atenção aos contributos dos investigadores de referência internacional no tema. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: A separação pode ser responsável pela diminuição da saúde física e psicológica das crianças. Não é a separação por si própria a que desencadeia a desadaptação desenvolvimental das crianças, mas sim outros fatores de risco associados à mesma, como, por exemplo, o conflito interparental, a psicopatologia de um dos pais, a redução do nível socioeconômico, um estilo parental inconsistente, uma relação coparental paralela e conflituosa e baixos níveis de suporte social. Estes fatores de risco desencadeiam trajetórias desenvolvimentais caracterizadas por inadequada adaptação, com possível sintomatologia psicopatológica, pior rendimento acadêmico, piores níveis de saúde física, comportamentos de risco, exacerbadas respostas psicofisiológicas ao estresse e enfraquecimento do sistema imunitário. CONCLUSÕES: Existem claras ligações entre a experiência de separação parental e os problemas de saúde física e de desadaptação psicológica das crianças. A separação é um estressor que deve ser considerado pelos profissionais superiores de saúde como potencial desencadeador de respostas neuropsicobiológicas desadaptativas e responsável pelo declínio dos índices de saúde física infantil.

Parent Marital Quality and the Parent–Adolescent Relationship: Profiles of Relationship Quality

Rigorous studies repeatedly have demonstrated the negative effects of parental divorce on outcomes for families. However, very few studies have examined the quality of the marital relationship within intact families or how the quality of the marital relationship interacts with the quality of the parent–adolescent relationship. The present study examines how aspects of parent marital quality, such as marital support and conflict between the couple, existed within married families and examines how patterns of mother–adolescent and father–adolescent relationships quality varied longitudinally from 1997 to 1999. The study uses data from the NLSY97 cohort, a nationally representative sample of adolescents who are being followed into adulthood. Four profiles of parent marital quality were developed using latent class analyses. Four growth profiles for the mother–adolescent relationship and for the father–adolescent relationship were created using latent growth class analysis in Mplus. To examine how the parent marital quality profiles and the parent–adolescent relationship quality interact, we examined how they overlapped. Six distinct groups were evident from this examination: (1) high marital quality and good relationships with both parents, (2) high marital quality and a good relationship with only one parent, (3) high support and high conflict marital quality and a good relationship with at least one parent, (4) low marital quality and a good relationship with at least one parent, (5) high marital quality and bad relationships with both parents, and (6) low marital quality and bad relationships with both parents.

Effects of parental divorce on marital commitment and confidence.

Research on the intergenerational transmission of divorce has demonstrated that compared with offspring of nondivorced parents, those of divorced parents generally have more negative attitudes toward marriage as an institution and are less optimistic about the feasibility of a long-lasting, healthy marriage. It is also possible that when entering marriage themselves, adults whose parents divorced have less personal relationship commitment to their own marriages and less confidence in their own ability to maintain a happy marriage with their spouse. However, this prediction has not been tested. In the current study, we assessed relationship commitment and relationship confidence, as well as parental divorce and retrospectively reported interparental conflict, in a sample of 265 engaged couples prior to their first marriage. Results demonstrated that women's, but not men's, parental divorce was associated with lower relationship commitment and lower relationship confidence. These effects persisted when controlling for the influence of recalled interparental conflict and premarital relationship adjustment. The current findings suggest that women whose parents divorced are more likely to enter marriage with relatively lower commitment to, and confidence in, the future of those marriages, potentially raising their risk for divorce.

Attitudes toward marriage: Embeddedness and outcomes in personal relationships

AbstractThis study examines marriage attitudes, attitude embeddedness, personal relationship outcomes, and parental marital status and conflict using 400 undergraduate students. In a conceptual replication of Prislin and Ouellette (1996), more embedded marriage attitudes are more predictive of evaluations of general marriage issues and relationship scenarios than less embedded attitudes. Consistent with findings that marriage attitudes influence relationship quality (Amato & Rogers, 1999), more embedded attitudes predict relationship conflict, commitment, desirability of alternatives, and expectations of relationship success. Recollections of high parental conflict are associated with greater relationship conflict, and individuals with divorced parents report more negative marriage attitudes. Future research on relationship attitudes, their strength, and consequences of parental divorce and conflict for offspring marriage attitudes is discussed.

Positive Consequences of Parental Divorce Among Israeli Young Adults

Within the framework of cognitive theories that define crisis as a challenge to self-development, this study explored the positive long-term outcomes of coping with parental divorce in young adults. Data were collected from self-reports of 158 Israeli young adults whose parents divorced when they were adolescents. Together with painful feelings, almost half the participants reported “more positive than negative outcomes” and less than a quarter thought that the divorce had “more negative than positive outcomes.” The various positive outcomes were found to form three constructs reflecting maturity and growth: empowerment, empathy, and relationship-savvy. Coping styles used by the participants proved strongly connected to long-term outcomes. Reciprocal support was the main coping style used by the young adults and their significant others, and was connected to positive long-term outcomes. Based on multiple regression analyses, the study proposes a sequential model that charts a developmental sequence that enhances long-term positive outcomes. These and other results are discussed within the framework of posttraumatic growth perspective.

The Effect of Parental Divorce on Children's Self-Esteem: Based on the Effects of Family structure, Economical deficiency and Parenting

The Effect of Parental Divorce on Children's Self-Esteem: Based on the Effects of Family structure, Economical deficiency and Parenting

Parental Divorce and Religious Involvement among Young Adults*

Surprisingly few studies have explored the implications of parental divorce for the religious involvement of offspring, especially in young adulthood. Our study addresses several theoretical arguments linking parental divorce with reduced religious involvement in young adulthood and tests relevant hypotheses using data from a unique sample of 1,500 young adults (ages 18-35), evenly divided between offspring of divorce and offspring from intact nuclear families. Results show that parental divorce is associated with substantially lower self-reported religious involvement among young adults; however, there are no effects of parental divorce on non-organizational religiousness (prayer activity) or subjective religiousness (feelings of closeness to God). The link between parental divorce and religious attendance appears to be due to the lower levels of paternal (father's) involvement in childhood and adolescent religious socialization among the offspring of divorce. A number of implications of these findings are discussed.

The Effects of Parental Divorce on College Students

This study investigated the experiences of 17 college students whose parents divorced while they were in college. The survey explored three major areas of interest: The student's initial reaction to the divorce, the impact of the divorce on the student's relationship with their parents and family, and the impact of the divorce on the student on a personal level.Results revealed that about half of the students saw their parents' divorce coming. A few students reported that they did not see the divorce coming at that particular time; however, they were not surprised to learn of it. Most of the students believed that their parents had stayed together for as long as they did “for the sake of the children.” Many students responded that the divorce resulted in a closer relationship with their mother and a more strained relationship with their father, and that the divorce caused them particular difficulty around the holidays. Many said the divorce resulted in some sort of difficulty with their own intimate relationships. Implications for further research are discussed.

Lifestyle and cancer: effect of parental divorce

According to previous studies, divorced individuals have increased risks of cancers related to alcohol and tobacco consumption and sexual habits, but the increases are balanced with decreased risks of many common cancers. In the present study, cancer risks were analyzed for 0-70-year-old offspring of divorced parents, on the basis the Swedish Family-Cancer Database with cancer data from the years 1958 to 2002. We calculated standardized incidence ratios for cancer among offspring of divorced parents (19,000 cancer patients) and compared them with offspring of stably married parents (121,000 cancer patients). Standardized incidence ratios were adjusted for many factors, including socio-economic status. Offspring of divorced parents were divided into groups depending on whether their mothers, fathers or both had had children with different partners. Offspring of divorced parents had an increased risk of upper aerodigestive tract, esophageal, anal, pancreatic, lung and cervical cancers. Decreased risks were noted for Hodgkin's disease and bone cancer. For Hodgkin's disease, the data suggest protective effects through early exposure to childhood pathogens but for bone cancer mechanisms remain to be established. The overall cancer risk for offspring of divorced parents was at or above unity. The results show that offspring of divorced parents have increased cancer risks at tobacco-related, alcohol-related and sex-related sites, in analogy to their parent, but they lack decreased risks at common sites, experienced by their parents. Divorce is becoming increasingly common in many countries and any deviant cancer patterns among offspring of divorced parents will have an impact on the population risk.

Attitudes Toward Divorce: Embeddedness and Outcomes in Personal Relationships

Divorce attitudes, attitude embeddedness, parental marital status and conflict, and personal relationship outcomes were examined in a sample of 289 undergraduate students. Results indicated that highly embedded divorce attitudes were more predictive of evaluations of divorce issues and relationship scenarios than were less embedded attitudes. Consistent with findings that divorce attitudes influence personal relationships (Amato & DeBoer, 2001), participants with embedded divorce attitudes reported greater conflict and influence of relationship partners. Recollections of high parental conflict were associated with greater relationship conflict; and individuals from high‐conflict intact families reported greater relationship closeness, conflict, and embedded divorce attitudes. Consequences of parental divorce and conflict for offspring divorce attitudes are discussed, as well as future research on divorce attitudes and their strength.

A Social Cognitive Analysis of the Effects of Parental Divorce on Premarital Couples' Communication Skills

Based on predictions from social cognitive theory, this study examined the role of efficacy beliefs in the association between observation of parental divorce and relational communication skills in a sample of 111 premarital couples. Couples participated in a laboratory problem- solving interaction from which communication skills were assessed, in addition to trait skills measures. Hypothesized structural equation models indicated no consistent associations between parental divorce and either lower communication skills or relational self-efficacy. However, parental divorce was predictive of lower appraisals of partner relational efficacy for men and diminished beliefs in the feasibility of lifelong marriage for men and women. In addition, couples with a history of parental divorce appeared more accurate in appraising each other's relational efficacy in comparison with couples without a history of parental divorce.

Parental Divorce and Mother-Child Interaction

In the past few decades, researchers have become extremely interested in the effects of divorce on all those involved. One potential effect is on mother-child interaction. However, most researchers who have addressed the effects of parental divorce on mother-child interaction have failed to assess both the mother's and the child's perspectives in their measurements and have done studies based on a very negative view of divorce. The current study aims to examine both mothers' and children's behavior, specifically emotions and social scaffolding, and to look at divorce through a positive lens using data collected from the Wisconsin Study of Families and Work. Participants were 160 mothers and their eleven-year-old children. Data were collected by coding videotapes of mother-child interactions during a math task. The theoretical framework was the socio-cultural learning theory of Vygotsky and Rogoff. Results showed that there were no significant differences between divorced and intact mothers or children on either emotion or scaffolding variables, even with high power. Marginally significant differences were found in humor and zone of proximal development.

Problem Behavior of Boys and Young Men After Parental Divorce in the Netherlands

This article examines the effects of parental divorce on externalizing, internalizing, and relational problem behavior of boys and young men between 12 and 30 years of age in the Netherlands. We compare sons coming from divorced families both with sons from intact families and also with daughters. Compared to male youngsters coming from intact families, male youngsters from divorced families tend to have more externalizing problems, including risky habits. Young men, after a divorce, hardly differ either from young men coming from intact families or from young women with respect to internalizing problem behavior. Male children of divorced families enter into relationships at an early age and usually have greater sexual experience compared to male children coming from intact families. However, young men in general and also young men after parental divorce postpone marriage and fatherhood compared to young women.

Exploring the Role of Nationality, Gender and Educational Level on the Possible Selves of Greek and UK Young Adults from Divorced and Intact Families

ABSTRACT Research suggests that parental divorce affects offspring's later life. The present study explores the long-term effects of parental divorce on UK and Greek young adults' possible selves concerning future family life, friendships and occupation taking account of the mediating role of nationality, gender and educational level. The sample consisted of 332 Greek and UK postgraduate University students. They completed a questionnaire concerning possible selves. The findings showed that culture rather than the status of parental family was the main factor differentiating between individual's possible selves. There were few gender differences although the individual's educational level appeared to be a significant mediating factor particularly for the Greek participants. The findings are discussed in relation to cross-cultural differences in attitudes towards divorce.

Adult Children of Divorce and Intimate Relationships: Implications for Counseling

Many researchers have suggested that parental divorce can influence intimacy and marital attitudes in the relationships of adult children of divorce (ACD). This study examined the effect of parental divorce on specific intimate relationship ideals. Participants consisted of 315 graduate students at the University of New Orleans who completed the Relationship Ideals Scale (RIS). Results indicated that parental divorce significantly affects the importance of specific relationship ideals such as affection, passion, and independence. Implications for counselors, counselor educators, and future research are provided.

Double impact: What sibling data can tell us about the long‐term negative effects of parental divorce*

Most prior research on the adverse consequences of parental divorce has analyzed only one child per family. As a result, it is not known whether the same divorce affects siblings differently. We address this issue by analyzing paired sibling data from the 1994 General Social Survey (GSS) and 1994 Survey of American Families (SAF). Both seemingly unrelated regressions and random effects models are used to study the effect of family background on offspring's educational attainment and marital stability. Parental divorce adversely affects the educational attainment and the probability of divorce of both children within a sibship; in other words, siblings tend to experience the same divorce the same way. However, family structure of origin only accounts for a trivial portion of the shared variance in offspring's educational attainment and marital stability, so parental divorce is only one of many factors determining how offspring fare. These findings were unchanged when controlling for a number of differences both between and within sibships. Also, the negative effects of parental divorce largely do not vary according to respondent characteristics.

Alternative Research Perspectives for Studying the Effects of Parental Divorce

ABSTRACT This literature review examines the most prominent studies assessing the consequences of divorce. Research from the modernist tradition is critiqued for its deficit view of single-parent families created by divorce, androcentric bias, and methodological flaws. The development of alternative research perspectives is proposed by postmodern researchers who suggest that multiple contexts may exist as viable and legitimate environments in which to raise children. Examining the effects of divorce from a postmodern perspective shifts the focus away from looking exclusively at the negative consequences of divorce. In contrast, the strengths, competencies, and unique experiences of individuals and families affected by divorce are explored.

Exploring the Role of Nationality, Gender and Educational Level on the Possible Selves of Greek and UK Young Adults from Divorced and Intact Families

ABSTRACT Research suggests that parental divorce affects offspring's later life. The present study explores the long-term effects of parental divorce on UK and Greek young adults possible selves concerning future family life, friendships and occupation taking account of the mediating role of nationality, gender and educational level. The sample consisted of 332 Greek and UK postgraduate University students. They completed a questionnaire concerning possible selves. The findings showed that culture rather than the status of parental family was the main factor differentiating between individual's possible selves. There were few gender differences although the individual's educational level appeared to be a significant mediating factor particularly for the Greek participants. The findings are discussed in relation to cross-cultural differences in attitudes towards divorce.

Family structure homogamy: The effects of parental divorce on partner selection and marital stability

Although it is well established that the children of divorce are disproportionately likely to end their own marriages, relatively little is known about their marriage formation behavior. This paper uses data from the National Survey of Families and Households to examine the effects of parental family structure on spouse selection and marriage duration. People from divorced families often marry other children of divorce. This phenomenon, which I call family structure homogamy, persists across a variety of sociodemographic boundaries. In addition, I replicate earlier research by demonstrating that marriages between two children of divorce are especially likely to fail. These findings shed new light on the intergenerational transmission of divorce by showing that people from divorced families often marry under conditions that bode poorly for marital stability.

#45 Childhood adversity and the onset, recurrence, and remission of major depression

Abstract PURPOSE: Childhood adversity significantly increases the risk of depression, but it is unclear whether such risk is most pronounced early in life. In the present study, we examine whether childhood adversity—indicated by parental socioeconomic status (SES), family disruption, and residential instability—is related to an increased risk of depression during specific stages of the life course; in addition, we analyze the association between childhood adversity and the subsequent course of major depression. METHODS: A sample of 1,089 of the 4,140 births enrolled in the Providence (Rhode Island) site of the National Collaborative Perinatal Project was interviewed between the ages of 17 and 39. Measures of childhood risks were obtained before birth and at age seven. Ages at onset, offset, and number of lifetime depressive episodes were ascertained via structured diagnostic interviews. Survival analyses were used to identify risk factors for depression onset and remission, and Poisson regression was used to model the recurrence rate of depressive episodes. RESULTS: By the age of 7, low parental SES, divorce, and a high level of residential instability, defined as 3 or more family moves, were related to elevated lifetime risks of depression; the effects of parental divorce and residential instability were most pronounced for depression onset by age 14. Childhood adversity was also related to increased risk of recurrence and reduced likelihood of remission. CONCLUSION: Childhood social disadvantage has long term consequences for the onset of major depression; however, the duration of risk associated with the childhood environment varies, and may diminish with time. Early childhood adversity also predicted poor prognosis independent of its effects on early onset depression.