Summarised by Dr Angharad Rudkin

Child Clinical Psychologist at University of Southhampton

Angharad is an experienced Clinical Psychologist working with children and families. She supports OnlyMums & OnlyDads in delivering accessible summaries of key research around families and the effects of separation and divorce on children and those who care for them.

Long-Term Influences Of Parental Divorce On Offspring Affective Disorders.

A.S. Ellen, J.Thompson, D.Gaysina. (2017) Journal of Affective Disorders, 218, 105-114.

This paper describes a meta-analysis of research on the effect of divorce on children’s mood states since 1980.

Children of separating parents aren’t necessarily feeling worse these days compared to 30 years ago, but we are now (thankfully) recognising their needs and talking about them more.

Parental divorce is associated with higher risk of depression but not anxiety in adult offspring.

There has been no significant change in this pattern over the last 30 years, suggesting that divorce is affecting children in the same way now as it did a generation ago.

 

 

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