Experience Of Parental Divorce Research Articles

The Impact of Parental Divorce on Children's Psychology

The impact of divorce has a big influence on the psychological aspects of children, and the effects can continue into adulthood. Young adults' ability to form relationships that fulfill their developmental tasks is influenced by how they interpret and attribute parental experiences of romantic relationships. Research using the narrative review method aims to better understand the psychological impact on young adults who experience their parents' divorce. The research results show that divorce can have both positive and negative impacts on children's psychological conditions, which in turn affects their ability to form relationships appropriate to the developmental stages of young adults, especially those related to intimacy vs isolation. Therefore, it is important to explore these dynamics and identify the factors that influence success in forming relationships so that individuals who have the experience of parental divorce can cope with their developmental tasks optimally. With a deeper understanding, we can provide more effective support to young adults experiencing parental divorce to overcome its psychological impact and form healthy romantic relationships.

The Experiences of Parental Divorce on the Psychological Well-Being among High School Students

High school students in China who have experienced parental divorce may face significant psychological and life challenges. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the impact of parental divorce on the psychological well-being among Chinese high school students. This qualitative study adopted a descriptive phenomenological approach. A total of eight participants were selected through a purposive sampling technique in Qinghai Province, China. The data was gathered using a semi-structured interview to gain in-depth understanding and to obtain sufficient information from the participants. The research data were collected to answer two research questions: 1) what are the experiences of high school students from parental divorced families? 2) how does parental divorce affect high school students’ psychological well-being? The following themes were identified in high school students who experience parental divorced in their families: 1) difficulties adapting with new family environment, 2) becoming overly independent, and 3) rising economic problems after the divorce. Four themes were also identified on how parental divorce experiences affect students’ psychological well-being: 1) low life satisfaction and happiness, 2) emotional instability, 3) sense of insecurity, and 4) arising of mental health risks and problems. The study will prepare organizations that provide mental health services and school counsellors to a better understanding of the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of high school students who are affected by parental divorce and provide them with necessary supports.

Is Parental Divorce Homogamy Associated With a Higher Risk of Separation From Cohabitation and Marriage?

Numerous studies have shown that parental divorce is associated with an increase in adult children's divorce risk. We extend this literature by assessing how parental divorce on both sides of a couple is related to their partnership dynamics, specifically, whether there is parental divorce homogamy and whether a history of parental divorce for both partners is associated with increased dissolution risks for cohabiting and married unions. We use Finnish Census Panel data on 28,021 cohabiting and marital partnerships to conduct event-history models that follow individuals between ages 18 and 45. Findings show substantial parental divorce homogamy. Children with experience of parental divorce have 13% greater odds of cohabiting with and 17% greater odds of marrying a fellow child of divorcees, compared with those whose parents have not divorced. Moreover, contrary to evidence from the United States and Norway, our findings for Finland support an additive-rather than multiplicative-association between parental divorce homogamy and union dissolution. Parental divorce homogamy increases offspring's union dissolution risk by 20% for cohabitation and 70% for marriage, compared with couples for whom neither partner's parents are divorced. In Finland, the sizes of these associations are notably weaker than in the United States and Norway, likely because cohabitation and separation are more widespread and socially accepted in Finland, and an expansive welfare state buffers the socioeconomic consequences of divorce.

Emotional Echoes: Young People, Divorce, and the Public Media, 1960–2000

Abstract The article introduces the methodological concept of emotional echoing to analyze the cultural formation of individual emotions and demonstrates its utility in an analysis of young people’s emotional experience of parental divorce in Denmark between 1960 and 2000. Drawing on recent theorizations within the history of emotions, we posit that emotional echoing is a key element in the historical processes through which emotions are configured. Individuals more or less consciously employ collective templates of emotionality to interpret and convey their own feelings, giving shape to experience and subjectivity in the process. We then present a study of a variety of Danish public media to examine how young people interpreted and described the experience of parental divorce. We argue that a new public emotionality emerged at this time and that this impacted young people’s experiences. Growing divorce rates, the breakdown of patriarchal family structures, the rising status of children and youth, and the blooming media market all helped spur this change. Echoing each other’s tropes, practices, and images, young people emphasized the difficult and painful aspects of the emotional experience of divorce. During the last decades of the century, they increasingly articulated anger toward their parents, but they also more often emphasized “bad conscience” and signaled the importance of regulating one’s own emotions to protect one’s parents. Through nonmechanical and creative echoing, young people processed their emotions by digesting and contributing anonymously to the public media.

Romantic Relationship Satisfaction and Parent-Infant Bonding During the Transition to Parenthood: An Attachment-Based Perspective

An important element of well-being during the transition to parenthood is new parents’ relationships with their partners and babies. Attachment theory posits that early caregiving experiences influence close relationships throughout the lifespan. Disruptions to the parent-child relationship, such as parental divorce or separation, may therefore have intergenerational effects as adult children of divorce navigate changes in their later relationships. This study examined whether new parents who have experienced a divorce or separation in their family of origin report greater romantic relationship dissatisfaction or impairment in the parent-infant bond during the early postpartum period, and if these associations are mediated by adult attachment. First-time parents of infants through 6 months of age (N = 94) completed measures of adult attachment, romantic relationship satisfaction, and parent-infant bonding. New parents who had experienced parental divorce or separation did not differ from those from intact families with regard to romantic relationship satisfaction, parent-infant bonding, attachment anxiety, or attachment avoidance. Attachment anxiety and avoidance were both associated with romantic relationship dissatisfaction and greater impairment in the parent-infant bond. These findings suggest that the experience of parental divorce or separation, in and of itself, does not confer increased risk for negative relational outcomes among new parents. Securely attached adults, regardless of their own parents’ marital status, report more positive relationships with their partners and infants during the early postpartum period.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Avatar Preferences in Online Games.

This study investigates the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), age, and sex with respect to their avatar preference in online games. The analyses comprise a subsample of n = 1817 adolescents and adults from 14 to 60 years within a representative German population-based study. Results indicate that 14 % of this sample uses avatars in online games, with significantly more males (22.6 %) than females (7.7 %) doing so. Persons with multiple ACEs (≥ 4) have a higher OR of 2.05 (95 % CI: 1.418-2.956) to use avatars in online games. Regarding avatar preference, females are more likely to play supporters than males, and males are more likely to choose damagers and mixed-type avatars than females. Participants with an experience of parental divorce during their childhood reported higher preference of playing supporter or mixed-type avatars in comparison with damager avatars. Moreover, participants with mental illness or suicide in the family show a higher preference of mixed-type avatars compared to damager, but not to supporter avatars. Knowledge about the use of avatars can be an interesting source of information for supporting psychotherapeutic treatment in a young age group.

A Qualitative Study on Children’s Experiences of Parental Divorce and Adaptation to Single-Father Families

This study explored the processes of parental divorce and adaptation in single-parent families as well as examined how the experience of living in family welfare facilities influences the adaptation process of such families. The research question to achieve the study objective was, “What is the adaption process for a single-father family, and what influence does living in a single-father family welfare facility have on that process?” Data collection was conducted between June 2013 and April 2014 that included an in-depth interview process and continuous participatory observations on 14 children residing in the facility. The study results were as follows. The theme in a two-parent family period was ‘changes in reduction of family: serious conflicts between parents.’ Children directly witnessed intense conflicts between parents and experienced anxiety from situations that involved verbal and physical violence during the two-parent family period. The experience of children prior to entering the facility was represented by “loss and confusion experienced.” The theme for children of single-father family in entering a facility was “selecting a realistic alternative.” Children’s daily activities consisted of being with friends of a similar age, which allowed them to play and support each other in building social skills. The facility departure theme for the children was “hope for a new life.”

The influence of positive youth development and family functioning on adolescent academic adjustment in families with parental divorce or separation

AbstractBased on the five waves of longitudinal data (n=3328 at Wave 1), the influence of positive youth development (PYD) attributes and family functioning on academic adjustment and academic stress in adolescents growing up in families with parental separation or divorce at Time 1 was examined. Compared with adolescents without the experience of parental divorce or separation, adolescents with such experiences displayed poorer wellbeing and academic adjustment as well as higher risk behavior. At Wave 5, both PYD and family functioning positively predicted academic adjustment but negatively predicted study stress. Longitudinally, Wave 1 PYD predicted school adjustment at Wave 3 and perception of the new secondary school curriculum at Wave 5. While Wave 4 PYD had an influence on all academic-related measures at Wave 5, Wave 4 family functioning predicted school conduct at Wave 5 only. The protective role of PYD and family functioning in academic resilience in adolescents growing up in non-intact families is discussed.

Young adults’ experiences of parental divorce or separation during their adolescence: An occupational perspective

ABSTRACTIn this article we present a narrative exploration of adolescent and young adult occupation surrounding a parental divorce or separation. Adolescence is a time of great change and exploration in daily life. The addition of a parental divorce can make this period of understanding one's desires, responsibilities, and lifelong occupational preferences less stable. Parental divorce changes the family structure, routines and habits, as well as the relationships and responsibilities of the teens and young adults within their family. This study included six participants who had experienced a parental divorce between the ages of 10 and 20. Major themes that emerged include coping through the use of occupation, changing roles and responsibilities following divorce, and the support available to and from the participants. While these concepts fit with the current literature regarding parental divorce, the use of an occupational lens allowed for a deeper understanding of meaningful engagement in life surrounding parental divorce and separation, and how adolescents’ daily lives are affected by the associated transitions.

A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Child-Reported Maternal Warmth on Cortisol Stress Response 15 Years After Parental Divorce.

The experience of parental divorce during childhood is associated with an increased risk of behavioral and physical health problems. Alterations in adrenocortical activity may be a mechanism in this relation. Parent-child relationships have been linked to cortisol regulation in children exposed to adversity, but prospective research is lacking. We examined maternal warmth in adolescence as a predictor of young adults' cortisol stress response 15 years after parental divorce. Participants included 240 youth from recently divorced families. Mother and child reports of maternal warmth were assessed at 6 time points across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Offspring salivary cortisol was measured in young adulthood before and after a social stress task. Structural equation modeling was used to predict cortisol response from maternal warmth across early and late adolescence. Higher child-reported maternal warmth in early adolescence predicted higher child-reported maternal warmth in late adolescence (standardized regression = 0.45, standard error = 0.065, p < .01), which predicted lower cortisol response to a challenging interpersonal task in young adulthood (standardized regression = -0.20, standard error = 0.094, p = .031). Neither mother-reported warmth in early adolescence nor late adolescence was significantly related to offspring cortisol response in young adulthood. Results suggest that for children from divorced families, a warm mother-child relationship after divorce and across development, as perceived by the child, may promote efficient biological regulation later in life. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01407120.

The Influence of Parental Divorce on Educational Ambitions of 18/19 Year-Old Adolescents from Oslo, Norway

Former studies have shown that children and adolescents of divorced parents have significantly poorer educational attainment than their peers from continuously married parents. Educational ambition is important because it has relationship with educational attainment. Our aim was to investigate the associations between parental divorce and educational ambitions among adolescents in the Scandinavian region. Data were used from Young-HUBRO surveys that were conducted in Oslo in the years 2000/2001 and 2004. A change in educational ambition was investigated in a prospective study (n = 1,861) by comparing 18/19 year-olds who experienced late parental divorce with adolescents of continuously married parents. 18/19 year-old adolescents who experienced parental divorce during childhood or adolescence were compared in a cross-sectional study (n = 2,391) with their peers from continuously married parents. Multinomial logistic regression models were fitted to include, among others, mental health problem as a potential confounder. The prospective study showed that a change from ambition for university/college education to having undecided educational ambition was significantly higher among adolescents with experience of late parental divorce than among adolescents of continuously married parents (OR 1.8; 95 % CI 1.1–3.0). In the cross-sectional study, adolescents who experienced parental divorce during childhood or adolescence were more likely to have undecided educational ambition, compared to their peers from continuously married parents (OR 1.3; 95 % CI 1.1–1.8). In conclusion, experience of parental divorce seems to be associated with undecided educational ambition among 18/19 year-old adolescents. Mechanisms that reduce the adverse influence of parental divorce on educational ambitions need to be in place.

Does Parental Divorce Increase Risk Behaviors among 15/16 and 18/19 year-old Adolescents? A Study from Oslo, Norway.

Background: Several studies have reported an increase in risk behaviors among adolescents after experience of parental divorce. The aim of the study was to investigate whether parental divorce is associated with risk behavior among adolescents independent of mental health problems, first when early divorce was experienced, and second after experience of late parental divorce. Method: One prospective (n=1861) and one cross-sectional study (n=2422) were conducted using data from two Young-HUBRO surveys in Oslo, Norway. All 15/16 year-old 10th grade students who participated in the first survey in the school year 2000/01 were followed-up in 2004 when they were 18/19 year-olds. The follow-up rate was 68%. The prospective study investigated the influence of late parental divorce that occurred between the age of 15/16 and 18/19. In the cross-sectional study we focused on early parental divorce that occurred before the participants were 15/16 year-old. Results:In the prospective study we could not discern a significant association between experiencing late parental divorce and an increase in risk behaviors among 18/19 year-old adolescents. In the cross-sectional study parental divorce was significantly associated with cigarette smoking and using doping agents. Conclusion: Parental divorce that occurs when the children of divorced parents are 15/16 year-old or younger is associated with an increase in cigarette smoking and use of doping agents. However, no evidence of significant association is found between experience of late parental divorce and risk behaviors in late adolescence.

Commentary: (How) does the experience of parental divorce in childhood contextualize adult development? Reflections on Fergusson et al. (2014)

Fergusson, McLeod, and John Horwood (2014) have raised many interesting issues in their article considering the effects of parental separation/divorce in childhood on later adult partnership outcomes. In particular the article has contributed to our knowledge of the intergenerational transmission of marital instability. In my Commentary article I have: (a) situated the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) findings within the substantial body of literature on the intergenerational transmission of marital instability, (b) placed these findings within their sociocultural context, and (c) considered their clinical implications. I then consider the important role that the CHDS study has played in revealing the relative contributions of childhood family structure, social context, and family processes to patterns of intimate relationship formation in adulthood.

Sense of Coherence in Young Adults With and Without Experience of Parental Divorce in Childhood

The intent of this study was to look at personal resources, defined in this study as sense of coherence (SOC), as one possible factor explaining equalities and differences in mental health between individuals with and without experience of parental divorce, when traumatic experiences, other than a possibly traumatic parental divorce, were also considered. The results showed a significant connection between a strong SOC-29 and good mental health (Symptom Checklist-90/Global Severity Index), but no significant connection between SOC-29 and Life Incidence of Traumatic Events. Personal resources measured as strong sense of coherence seem to be important in retaining good mental health and for the capacity to deal with life incidences.

How I Remember My Parents’ Divorce: A Phenomenological Investigation

In order to examine the experience of parental divorce for adult women, a phenomenological method was used. Ten women were interviewed and the interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematized. The themes that came from the texts of the interviews transcripts and the researchers’ reflections on the phenomenological research group analysis were: Before the Divorce, During the Divorce, and After the Divorce. These themes were centered on a contextual ground of Time Frame of the Divorce. The results of this study can provide individuals with a context for understanding their own experiences of parental divorce. These results could also be helpful for mental health clinicians in anticipating the themes that clients will discuss relative to the stages of their parents’ divorce.

Emerging Adults and Parental Divorce: Coming to Terms with “What Might Have Been”

Although the impact of divorce on family members has been widely explored in the literature, with many prevailing myths debunked, there has been limited discussion of the impact of parental divorce on emerging adults (ages 18–30). A strength-based model developed by King and Hicks (2007) is presented to enhance our current understanding. Coming to terms with the experience of parental divorce and “what might have been” frames the discussion. Two emerging adult case examples are presented to illustrate how experiences of loss and the exploration of “what might have been” have direct benefits. It is proposed that family therapists can assist emerging adults in developing narratives related to the experience of divorce that promote happiness, maturity, and complexity, narratives that serve as a powerful alternative to existing deficit models.

Young Adults with Childhood Experience of Divorce: Disappointment and Contentment

The aim of this study was to use in-depth interviews to identify and describe experiences of parental divorce among adult children whose parents divorced 15 years earlier. Ten out of 76 interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Two categories of experiences were identified: disappointment and contentment. Two subcategories of disappointment were distinguished: disappointment toward mother, father, or both, and disappointment with relatives and other surrounding persons. Four subcategories of contentment were distinguished: contentment in the belief that the members of the original family received a good or even better life after the divorce, contentment with how the divorce was handled by the parents, contentment and inner strength as a part of the child's own personality, and contentment with receiving adequate help during and after the parental divorce.

The relationship between child abuse, parental divorce, and lifetime mental disorders and suicidality in a nationally representative adult sample

Objectives To determine how the experiences of child abuse and parental divorce are related to long-term mental health outcomes using a nationally representative adult sample after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and parental psychopathology. Methods Data were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS, n = 5,877; age 15–54 years; response rate 82.4%). Logistic regression models were used to determine the odds of experiencing lifetime psychiatric disorders and suicidal ideation and attempts. Results Parental divorce alone was associated with some psychiatric disorders after adjusting for sociodemographic variables (AOR ranging from 1.30 to 2.37), while child abuse alone was associated with psychiatric disorders (AOR ranging from 1.39 to 6.07) and suicidal ideation (AOR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.57–2.77) and attempts (AOR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.02–2.31) after adjusting for sociodemographic variables. However, having experienced both parental divorce and child abuse together resulted in significantly increased odds for lifetime PTSD (AOR = 9.87; 95% CI = 6.69–14.55), conduct disorder (AOR = 4.01; 95% CI = 2.92–5.51) and suicide attempts (AOR = 2.74; 95% CI = 1.84–4.08) compared to having experienced either parental divorce or child abuse alone. These results were attenuated when further adjusting for parental psychopathology. Conclusions When the experience of parental divorce is accompanied with child abuse, the associations with some poor mental health outcomes are significantly greater compared to the impact of either parental divorce or child abuse on its own. Therefore, parental divorce is an additional childhood adversity that significantly contributes to poor mental health outcomes especially when in combination with child abuse. Parental psychopathology attenuated these relationships suggesting that it may be one possible mechanism to explain the relationships between child abuse, parental divorce, and psychiatric disorders and suicide attempts.

Parental divorce and adolescent delinquency: ruling out the impact of common genes.

Although the well-documented association between parental divorce and adolescent delinquency is generally assumed to be environmental (i.e., causal) in origin, genetic mediation is also possible. Namely, the behavior problems often found in children of divorce could derive from similar pathology in the parents, pathology that is both heritable and increases the risk that the parent will experience divorce. To test these alternative hypotheses, the authors made use of a novel design that incorporated timing of divorce in a sample of 610 adoptive and biological families. They reasoned that if genes common to parent and child mediate this association, nonadopted youth should manifest increased delinquency in the presence of parental divorce even if the divorce preceded their birth (i.e., was from a prior parental relationship). However, should the association be environmental in origin, the authors reasoned that adolescents should manifest increased delinquency only in response to divorce exposure, and this association should not vary by adoption status. Results firmly supported the latter, suggesting that it is the experience of parental divorce, and not common genes, that drives the association between divorce and adolescent delinquency.

Longevity following the experience of parental divorce

An archival prospective design was used to study mediating and moderating variables for the association between parental divorce and increased mortality risk, using a sub-group ( n = 1183 ) of individuals from the US Terman Life Cycle Study covering the period 1921–2000. In childhood, both socioeconomic status (SES) and family psychosocial environment were related to parental divorce but did little to explain its effects. The higher mortality risk associated with experiencing parental divorce was ameliorated among individuals (especially men) who achieved a sense of personal satisfaction by mid-life. Behaviorally, smoking was the strongest mediator of the divorce-mortality link. This study extends previous work on the long-term effects of parental divorce and reveals some reasons why the stress of parental divorce in childhood need not necessarily lead to negative later-life outcomes.