Long-term Effects Of Parental Divorce Research Articles

Early parental divorce across the life course: parent–child relationships, women’s drinking, and mental health

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of early parental divorce on multi-dimensional views of parent–child relationships (e.g. support, strain, contact), alcohol consumption, and depressive symptoms among adult children. Many studies have shown that parental divorce has impacts on children’s well-being; however, few studies have examined the long-term effects of parental divorce on adult health. Using the Americans’ Changing Lives survey, regression results show that childhood parental divorce is associated with depression and drinking, in part due to parent–child relationships and adversity in early life. In addition, parental divorce is associated with adult daughters’ drinking and depressive symptoms, suggesting that women are more vulnerable regarding early-life stressors.

Long-term effects of parental divorce on mental health – A meta-analysis

The aim of this study was to estimate the long-term effects of parental divorce on their offspring's mental health as well as substance-based addiction. We performed a systematic literature search on PubMed, Medline, PsyINFO, PsyARTICLES and PsycNET for the time period from 1990 until March 2018 in English language. In total 54 studies were included in the meta-analysis resulting in 117 effect sizes as well as a total sample of 506,299 participants. A significant association between parental divorce and every aspect of mental health was found with the following pooled ORs (95% CIs): Depression 1.29 (1.23–1.35), anxiety 1.12 (1.04–1.12), suicide attempt 1.35 (1.26–1.44), suicidal ideation 1.48 (1.43–1.54), distress 1.48 (1.37–1.6), alcohol 1.43 (1.34–1.53), smoking 1.64 (1.57–1.72) and drugs 1.45 (1.44–1.46) could be estimated. There was significant association between the effect sizes and the publication date specifically for distress (r = −0.995, p = .005). The results of the meta-analysis show a consistent direction of influence regarding the long-term effect of parental divorce on their children. Individuals affected by parental divorce have a higher risk of developing a variety of mental health conditions, although the effect sizes decreased from 1990 to 2017. Further research should focus on developing programmes to promote the resilience of children affected by divorce.

Resilience and rejection sensitivity mediate long-term outcomes of parental divorce.

Increasing divorce rates leave more and more children to deal with the separation of their parents. Recent research suggests that children of divorced parents more often experience psychological and physical symptoms than children of non-divorced parents. The processes that mediate the relationship between parental divorce and ill-health, however, are still elusive. This study investigated the mediating role of psychological factors such as resilience and rejection sensitivity on the long-term consequences of parental divorce in young adults. One hundred and ninety-nine participants (mean age 22.3years) completed an online survey, including measures of mental health, childhood trauma, resilience, and rejection sensitivity. Participants with divorced parents (33%) reported increased levels of psychological symptoms, childhood trauma, rejection sensitivity, and lower levels of resilience. The association between parental divorce and mental health was fully mediated by resilience, rejection sensitivity, and childhood trauma. The mediation model explained up to 44% of the total variance in mental health symptoms. Resilience and rejection sensitivity are crucial factors for successful coping with the experience of parental separation. Prevention programs that help to boost children's resilience might help to reduce the long-term effects of parental divorce on their attachment style (e.g., rejection sensitivity), thereby improving their mental health on the long run. Furthermore, the results call for parental awareness and counseling to target and reduce the observed increased level of childhood trauma. Limitations concern the cross-sectional and retrospective design of the study.

Parental Divorce and Romantic Attachment in Young Adulthood: Important Role of Problematic Beliefs

In the current study 45 university students with either divorced or continuously married parents were surveyed about their romantic attachment, positive emotionality, depressive symptomology, self-esteem, and, when applicable, their retrospective beliefs about their parents’ marital dissolution. Findings revealed that parental divorce did not predict attachment insecurity, depression, or low self-esteem. In fact, adult children of divorced parents (ACDP) reported increased compassion, awe, enthusiasm, and perspective taking. Among ACDP, a composite factor representing increased fear of abandonment, peer rejection, and maternal blame was positively associated with adult attachment anxiety, even while controlling for parental conflict and divorce-related socioenvironmental disruption. Results are discussed in terms of their support of a complex understanding of the long-term effects of parental divorce, and in their inconsistency with a purely pathogenic model of parental divorce.

More Careful or Less Marriageable? Parental Divorce, Spouse Selection and Entry into Marriage

Despite the large literature on the long-term effects of parental divorce, few studies have analyzed the effects of parental divorce on spouse selection behavior. However, the characteristics of one's spouse can have important effects on economic well-being and on marital success. We use discrete-time, event-history data from Finnish population registers to study the effects of parental divorce on entry into marriage with spouses who have different educational qualifications (both absolute and relative to one's own education), using conditional multinomial logistic regression models. The results show that Finnish children of divorce have lower rates of marriage than those from intact families. In particular, children of divorce have a lower likelihood of marrying spouses with secondary education or more, and especially low rates of marrying someone with a tertiary degree. The latter gap is smaller among those with tertiary education, as a result of the higher rates of homogamous marriage among the children of divorce with high education. Our findings suggest that children of divorce carry with them traits and behaviors that make them less marriageable candidates in the marriage market. We discuss the possible implications of these findings.

Parental Divorce Among Young and Adult Children: A Long-Term Quantitative Analysis of Mental Health and Family Solidarity

This analysis uses a middle-aged sample (age 35–84, N = 2,496) to document the long-term effects of parental divorce on the child's depressive affect and familial solidarity. Those who experienced parental divorce as a child (OR: 1.77, p < .05) or as an adult (OR: 1.82, p < .05) had a higher risk of depression compared to those whose parents are still married. Similar results were found for family solidarity, suggesting that parental divorce was associated with long-lasting effects on the children who experienced it. However, the pathways through which parental divorce potentially affects the well-being of children differ, based on whether the child experienced parental divorce as a child or as an adult.

Social Psychology Coaches Methuselah

Social Psychology Coaches Methuselah

Parental Divorce and Sibling Relationships

This study examines long-term effects of parental divorce on sibling relationships in adulthood and the role of predivorce parental conflict. It used large-scale retrospective data from the Netherlands that contain reports from both siblings of the sibling dyad. Results show limited effects of parental divorce on sibling contact and relationship quality in adulthood but strong effects on sibling conflict. The greater conflict among siblings from divorced families is explained by the greater parental conflict in these families. Parental conflict is a far more important predictor than parental divorce per se. Siblings from high-conflict families have less contact, lower relationship quality, and more conflict than do siblings from low-conflict families. Finally, when it comes to sibling relationship quality, the effect of parental divorce depends on the amount of parental conflict. Parental divorce has little effect on the quality of the relationship in low-conflict families, but it improves the relationship in high-conflict families.

Adolescent adjustment and well‐being: Effects of parental divorce and distress

This study investigates the long-term effects of parental divorce on adolescent psychological adjustment and well-being, and to what extent the effects are accounted for by parental psychological distress. Data were collected among 8,984 Norwegian adolescents (13-19 years) and their parents. Outcome variables were symptoms of anxiety and depression, subjective well-being, and three areas of school problems. Parental divorce was found to be associated with both higher mean levels and larger variances in adolescent problems. Divorce and parental distress contributed independently to adolescent distress, supporting the notion of "double exposure" effects. The prevalence of adolescents with substantial distress symptoms was 14% among those with non-distressed non-divorced parents and 30% among those with divorced and distressed parents. In general effects remained when controlling for demographic factors. Long-term effects of divorce on symptoms of anxiety and depression were stronger among girls than among boys.

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.

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.

Emotional Intimacy and Children's Adjustment: A comparison between single-parent divorced and intact families

The present investigation studies the levels of emotional intimacy within nonclinical single-parent families and intact families, and how these may relate to children's academic, social and emotional adjustments. Participants were 94 children of divorced families, 95 children of intact families, and their mothers (60 married and 58 divorced). The inventory of family feelings (IFF) and Kvebaek family sculpture technique (KFST) were used to examine subjects' emotional relationships with their family members. The results show significant differences between the divorced and intact groups on several measures of intimacy and adjustment. Most of these differences, however, are found to be small (as reflected by their small size effect). The only exception is with regard to the children's feeling of intimacy with their divorced noncustodial father. The quality of this dyad relationship also has a predictive power for the children's psychological, social and academic levels of functioning. These results are discussed in the context of divorced families' emotional boundaries and concerns over the long-term effects of parental divorce on children.

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.

Self-Blame and Self-Esteem in College-Aged Children from Divorced Families

Summary The relationship between self-blame and self-esteem among students from divorced and non-divorced families was compared. Published scales were used to assess current and retrospective reports of self-esteem and self-blame for students from divorced and non-divorced families. Students from divorced families reported lower retrospective self-esteem and more self-blame than students from non-divorced families. However, self-esteem scores of students from divorced families did appear to recover with time. These results demonstrate that retrospective self-report can be a useful tool for exploring the long-term effects of parental divorce among college students.

Intergenerational Transmission of Marital Quality and Marital Instability

We used longitudinal data involving parents and children to investigate the intergenerational transmission of marital quality and instability and the effects of parental divorce on children's marital quality. Results indicated that parental divorce increased daughters' likelihood of divorce, that some life course factors mediate the intergenerational transmission of divorce, that parental divorce had little impact on children's marital quality, and that the transmission of marital quality is moderated by parent and child gender. We discussed possible mechanisms for the intergenerational transmissions of marital instability and marital quality. Key Words: divorce, intergenerational transmission, marital quality, marital satisfaction. Literature consistently shows that parental divorce increases the likelihood of adult children's divorce (Amato, 1996; Bumpass, Martin, & Sweet, 1991; Glenn & Kramer, 1987; Greenburg & Nay, 1982; Keith & Finlay, 1988; McLanahan & Bumpass, 1988; Mueller & Pope, 1977). This intergenerational transmission of divorce appears to be more pronounced for women than for men. Further, adult children from divorced families have been found to be more likely than adult children from nondivorced families to perceive that their marriage is unstable, independent of their marital happiness (Webster, Orbuch, & House, 1995). The underlying mechanisms of the intergenerational transmission of divorce are far from clear, although family history has been linked to a variety of determinants of divorce. Several factors have been proposed as explanatory (or mediating) variables for the transmission of divorce. These factors can be divided into four broad categories: (a) demographic and life course factors (e.g., education, income, and age at first marriage), (b) factors exogenous to the marriage (e.g., family and social support systems, alternatives to marriage, and barriers to divorce), (c) factors endogenous to the marriage (e.g., marital happiness and satisfaction, marital interaction, and marital conflicts and problems), and (d) individual values and attitudes (e.g., attitudes toward divorce and expectations of marriage). Some argue that children from divorced families and children from nondivorced families differ in these factors and that differences associated with parental divorce lead to a greater likelihood that children of divorced parents will experience the dissolution of their own marriages. These categories of explanations are not mutually exclusive. For instance, socioeconomic status, which is passed from one generation to the next, has been linked to marital satisfaction and marital conflict (Conger et al., 1990; McAllister, 1986). We discuss the theoretical basis and empirical evidence for the first three explanations. The forth explanation (individual values and attitudes) for the intergenerational transmission of divorce was not tested in this study due to lack of data on participants' attitudes toward divorce. Assessment of the mediating roles of the proposed factors requires longitudinal studies that yield direct measures of the potential explanatory mechanisms. However, most previous research is cross-sectional and provides only retrospective data on marital history. Cross-sectional data limit the researcher's ability to investigate questions such as whether the intergenerational transmission of divorce is accompanied by a transmission of marital quality across generations. In this study, we examined the long-term effects of parental divorce on children's marital quality and marital instability, and we tested several of the explanations proposed for the intergenerational transmission of divorce. Furthermore, we directly investigated the question of the intergenerational transmission of marital quality by using longitudinal data involving both generations-parent and child. EXPLANATIONS OF THE INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF DIVORCE One explanation of the intergenerational transmission of divorce focuses on demographic and life course factors associated with or resulting from parental divorce. …

Effects of Parental Divorce on Mental Health Throughout the Life Course

The long-term effects of parental divorce on individuals' mental health after the transition to adulthood are examined using data from a British birth cohort that has been followed from birth to age 33. Growth-curve models and fixed-effects models are estimated. The results suggest that part of the negative effect of parental divorce on adults is a result of factors that were present before the parents 'marriages dissolved. The results also suggest, however, a negative effect of divorce and its aftermath on adult mental health. Moreover, a parental divorce during childhood or adolescence continues to have a negative effect when a person is in his or her twenties and early thirties

Long-Term Effects of Parental Divorce on Love Relationships: Divorce as Attachment Disruption

This study is an exploration of the long-term effects of parental divorce on a person's romantic relationships. Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969a) suggests that parental divorce in itself may not cause poor romantic relationships, but rather, growing up with poor parent-child relationships and protracted interparental conflict may be what is most destructive to subsequent romantic relationships. Seventy-eight college students with divorced parents and a control group of 94 students from non-divorced households responded to a questionnaire assessing early experiences with parents and with any other individual besides a biological parent, called a `parent-substitute' who the subjects reported was `like a mother or father to them' while growing up (e.g. a stepparent, grandparent, older sibling, etc.). The questionnaire also assessed the perceived level of interparental conflict between the biological parents, and the subjects' current style of relating in romantic love relationships. A stepwise multiple regression was performed to clarify the effects of early parental relationships, interparental conflict and parent's marital status (divorce or married) using style of relating in romantic relationships as the criterion variable. Students who reported having accepting parents who encouraged their independence were most likely to report feeling secure in their current love relationships. Students who reported growing up with protracted interparental conflict, or rejecting, overprotective parents were most likely to report jealousy and fears of abandonment in their love relationships. Growing up with an accepting parent may increase an individual's resilience to possible negative effects of parental divorce. Additionally, this parent may not necessarily have to be a biological parent. Students from both non-divorced and divorced households who reported growing up with accepting parent-substitutes (e.g. step-parents, grandparents) were also likely to report feeling secure in their romantic love relationships.

The Long-Term Effects of Parental Divorce on the Mental Health of Young Adults: A Developmental Perspective

The Long-Term Effects of Parental Divorce on the Mental Health of Young Adults: A Developmental Perspective

The Long-Term Effects of Parental Divorce on the Mental Health of Young Adults: A Developmental Perspective

The effects of parental divorce during childhood and adolescence on the mental health of young adults (age 23) were examined, using the National Child Development Study (NCDS), a longitudinal, multimethod, nationally representative survey of all children born in Great Britain during 1 week in 1958 (N = 17,414). Children were assessed at birth and subsequently followed up at ages 7, 11, 16, and 23 by means of maternal and child interviews, and by psychological, school, and medical assessments. Parental divorce had a moderate, long-term negative impact on adult mental health, as measured by the Malaise Inventory total score, and controlling for economic status, children's emotional problems, and school performance preceding marital dissolution. The likelihood of scoring above the clinical cutoff of the Malaise Inventory rose from 8% to 11% due to parental divorce. This indicated that the relative risk of serious emotional disorders increased in the aftermath of divorce, but that the large majority of individuals did not exhibit such risks. Path analyses revealed that the negative effects of divorce on adult mental health operated indirectly through higher emotional problems and lower levels of school achievement and family economic status at age 16. Results related to timing of divorce, remarriage, and interactions between age 7 emotional problems and divorce, and between age 7 emotional problems and child gender, are also discussed.

Parental Divorce in Childhood and Demographic Outcomes in Young Adulthood

We investigated the long-term effects of parental divorce in childhood on demographic outcomes in young adulthood, using a British longitudinal national survey of children. Our analyses control for predisruption characteristics of the child and the family, including emotional problems, cognitive achievement, and socioeconomic status. The results show that by age 23, those whose parents divorced were more likely to leave home because of friction, to cohabit, and to have a child outside marriage than were those whose parents did not divorce. Young adults whose parents divorced, however, were no more or less likely to marry or to have a child in a marriage. Moreover, even in the divorced group, the great majority did not leave home because of friction or have a child outside marriage.