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Psychiatria Danubina Oct 2020Divorce is a life event with a high level of stress for the entire family. Research shows that the number of divorces is on a steady rise. Family is very important for...
Divorce is a life event with a high level of stress for the entire family. Research shows that the number of divorces is on a steady rise. Family is very important for development of the children and changes within the family, after the divorce, could make consequences on them. Children are dependent on parents and disadvantaged during divorce because it is out of their control. They cannot predict how long will it take and what will be the outcome of divorce which includes separation from close family members, school change, change of home, change of life style and so on. Children often lack information and skills to overcome the challenges that the divorce carries. Conflicting relationships between parents make up the biggest obstacle that makes it difficult for a child to successfully deal with changes in the family. Even though parents deal with heavy feelings, it is desirable to put them the child and his interests in the first place. In order to stabilize the family system it is needed 2 up to 4 years. Children differ from one another in the reactions to the divorce, but there are some emotional reactions that are characteristic for most children of divorced parents, and the most often children reactions are of depressive symptoms, anxiety, anger, lower self-esteem and so on. The emotional reactions of children during the divorce can vary relative to the gender and age of the child. However, the divorce of a parent does not necessarily have to be so negative for children, especially if parents behave in an adequate way and they endeavor to act in such a way to make this process as painless as possible for children.
Topics: Adolescent; Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Divorce; Female; Humans; Male; Parents; Psychology, Child; Self Concept
PubMed: 33030452
DOI: No ID Found -
Psychiatrike = Psychiatriki Mar 2022Family is very important for development of children. Divorce is a life event with a high level of stress for the entire family. Children are dependent on parents and...
Family is very important for development of children. Divorce is a life event with a high level of stress for the entire family. Children are dependent on parents and disadvantaged during divorce because it is out of their control.1 Herein, we present our observations about children whose parents separated or divorced to increase the awareness of physicians about the negative effects of divorce. Individuals affected by parental divorce have a higher risk of developing a variety of mental health conditions including emotional and behavioral disorders, poor school performance, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, distress, smoking and substance abuse.2,3 Externalizing problems in girls precede and predict later parental divorce. Post-divorce problems in children vary by raters, and may depend on the time lapse since divorce.4 Lansford et al 5 noted that early parental divorce/separation is more negatively related to trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems than is later divorce/separation, whereas later divorce/separation is more negatively related to grades. In another study, divorce in parents was significantly associated with higher alcohol use disorder, higher cigarette dependence and higher water pipe dependence in adolescents.6 In the study of Tullius et al 7 the levels of both internalizing and externalizing problems were significantly higher in the period after parental divorce, but not in the period before divorce, with a persistent and increasing effect over the follow-up periods compared to adolescents not experiencing divorce. Zeratsion et al 8 reported that parental divorce in late adolescence does not lead to mental health problems, as has been shown before, while such problems may prevail among young adolescents. This does not mean that parental divorce creates less problems in late adolescence than before but these youths might have developed adjustment abilities against health effects as divorce have turned to be more common. In our clinical practice, we have also observed various emotional, behavioral, psychosomatic, and conversion disorders in children, particularly in preadolescents and adolescents, before and/or after a separation or divorce of parents. Children often lack information and skills to overcome the challenges that the divorce carries. Conflicting relationships between parents make up the biggest obstacle that makes it difficult for a child to successfully deal with changes in the family. Even though parents deal with heavy feelings, it is desirable to put them the child and his interests in the first place. In order to stabilize the family system, 2 to 4 years are usually needed.1 Physicians can assist families by providing support and advice, and advocating for children within systems that serve separating families. Physicians can provide information so that individuals who work with such children recognize, and are sensitive to, their individual needs, and provide supportive and nurturing experiences for the children in schools, camps and sporting activities. These efforts will promote better mental health outcomes for children affected by their parents' separation.9 The most important way to minimize emotional harm to children involved in a separation and divorce is to ensure that children maintain a close and secure relationship with both parents, unless there is spousal or child abuse or neglect, or parental substance abuse.9 Age-appropriate explanation and counseling for the child and advice and guidance for the parents, as well as recommendation of reading material, may help reduce the potential negative effects of divorce. Often, referral to professionals with expertise in the social, emotional, and legal aspects of the separation and its aftermath may be helpful for these families.10 An example of paragraph from a reading material for parents is as follows: The most comprehensive centre of man's worldly life, and its mainspring, and a paradise, refuge, and fortress of worldly happiness, is the life of the family. Everyone's home is a small world for him/her. And the life and happiness of his/her home and family are possible through genuine, earnest, and loyal respect and true, tender, and self-sacrificing compassion. This true respect and genuine kindness may be achieved with the idea of the members of the family having an everlasting companionship and friendship and togetherness, and their parental, filial, brotherly, and friendly relations continuing for all eternity in a limitless life, and their believing this.11 In conclusion, we would like emphasize that various psychosocial, psychosomatic and conversion disorders may be seen in children affected by parental divorce. Physicians interested in child health can notice parents' separation problems during evaluation of children. Referral to professionals with expertise in separation may be helpful for conflicting parents.
Topics: Adolescent; Anxiety Disorders; Child; Divorce; Female; Humans; Male; Parents
PubMed: 34860682
DOI: 10.22365/jpsych.2021.040 -
Journal of the American College of... Feb 2019
Topics: Divorce; Humans; Physicians
PubMed: 30704582
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.12.016 -
The American Psychologist Dec 2018This article reviews evidence from several lines of work to describe how marriage and divorce can provoke health-relevant immune alterations, including ways that marital... (Review)
Review
This article reviews evidence from several lines of work to describe how marriage and divorce can provoke health-relevant immune alterations, including ways that marital closeness can be perilous for health and divorce can be beneficial. The multiple stresses of a troubled relationship are depressogenic, and the development of a mood disorder sets the stage for psychological and biological vulnerability. Depression provides a central pathway to immune dysregulation, inflammation, and poor health; gender-related differences in depression and inflammation can heighten risk for women compared to men. Sleep and obesity can simultaneously feed off depression as they promote it. In addition, spousal similarities in health behaviors, gene expression, immune profiles and the gut microbiota offer new ways to consider the health advantages and risks of marriage and divorce, providing new perspectives on couples' interdependence, as well as new directions for research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Depression; Divorce; Humans; Immune System; Inflammation; Marriage; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 30525786
DOI: 10.1037/amp0000388 -
Cancer Nov 2009Life-threatening illness creates severe stress that may result in marital discord, separation, or divorce and may adversely impact treatment, quality of life, and... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
Life-threatening illness creates severe stress that may result in marital discord, separation, or divorce and may adversely impact treatment, quality of life, and survival. The few studies that are available to date have suggested that the risk of divorce is not higher in cancer patients, but to the authors' knowledge, no data exist to date that have examined the effect of gender on this rate.
METHODS
A total of 515 patients were prospectively identified as having either a malignant primary brain tumor (N = 214), a solid tumor with no nervous system involvement (N = 193), or multiple sclerosis (N = 108) who were married at the time of diagnosis. Basic demographic information and data regarding marital status were compiled. Patients were followed prospectively from enrollment until death or study termination.
RESULTS
Women composed 53% of the patient population. Divorce or separation occurred at a rate similar to that reported in the literature (11.6%). There was, however, a greater than 6-fold increase in risk after diagnosis when the affected spouse was the woman (20.8% vs 2.9%; P < .001). Female gender was found to be the strongest predictor of separation or divorce in each cohort. Marriage duration at the time of illness was also correlated with separation among brain tumor patients (P = .0001). Patients with brain tumors who were divorced or separated were more likely to be hospitalized, and less likely to participate in a clinical trial, receive multiple treatment regimens, complete cranial irradiation, or die at home (P < .0001).
CONCLUSIONS
Female gender was found to be a strong predictor of partner abandonment in patients with serious medical illness. When divorce or separation occurred, quality of care and quality of life were adversely affected.
Topics: Brain Neoplasms; Divorce; Female; Humans; Male; Marriage; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Sex Factors; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 19645027
DOI: 10.1002/cncr.24577 -
Psychosomatic Medicine Apr 2015Social relationships play a vital role in health and well-being, and it follows that loss experiences can be highly stressful for some people. This article reviews what... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Social relationships play a vital role in health and well-being, and it follows that loss experiences can be highly stressful for some people. This article reviews what is known about the association between marital separation, divorce, and health outcomes.
METHODS
Key findings in the area of divorce and health are discussed, and the review outlines a series of specific questions for future research. In particular, the article integrates research in social epidemiology with research in social psychophysiology. The former approach provides a broad-based estimate of the association between marital status and health outcomes, whereas the latter approach studies mechanisms of action and individual differences associated with increased risk for poor outcomes.
RESULTS
The experience of separation or divorce confers risk for poor health outcomes, including a 23% higher mortality rate. However, most people cope well and are resilient after their marriage or long-term relationship ends. Despite the fact that resilience is the most common response, a small percentage of people (approximately 10%-15%) struggle quite substantially, and it seems that the overall elevated adverse health risks are driven by the poor functioning of this group. Several candidate mechanisms and novel (ambulatory) assessment techniques that may elucidate the poor outcomes among people who adapt poorly to separation are discussed.
CONCLUSIONS
To increase knowledge on the association between divorce and health, three primary areas require more research: a) genetic and third variable explanations for divorce-related health outcomes, (b) better studies of objective social behavior after separation, and (c) increased attention to interventions targeting high-risk adults.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Divorce; Health Status; Humans; Mortality; Resilience, Psychological; Risk Factors
PubMed: 25829240
DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000168 -
Journal of Family Psychology : JFP :... Sep 2019Despite widespread acknowledgment that "frequent, continuing, and meaningful" (Pruett & DiFonzo, 2014) time with both parents is beneficial for children from divorced or...
Despite widespread acknowledgment that "frequent, continuing, and meaningful" (Pruett & DiFonzo, 2014) time with both parents is beneficial for children from divorced or separated families, and that interparental conflict (IPC) is associated with increased child mental health problems, the joint effects of parenting time (PT), parenting quality (PQ), and IPC on children's mental health problems are less clear. The current study integrates two theoretical models in multiple mediator analyses to test indirect effects of mothers' and fathers' PQ and IPC to explain the association between PT and children's mental health problems within the same model. Participants were children aged 9-18 years ( = 141) who had one or both parents participate in a randomized comparative effectiveness trial of a court-based prevention program for high-conflict divorcing or separating families. Data were collected at pretest and 9-month follow-up. Analyses revealed an indirect effect in which fathers' PQ mediated the association between PT and child internalizing problems both concurrently and 9 months later. There were no significant indirect effects involving IPC. Analyses indicated a significant quadratic relation between PT and fathers' PQ, suggesting that although more PT is associated with better father-child relationships, there is a point beyond which more time is not related to a better relationship. We discuss the study findings, research limitations, and implications for public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Divorce; Family Conflict; Female; Humans; Male; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Parent-Child Relations; Parenting; Parents; Time
PubMed: 31318261
DOI: 10.1037/fam0000556 -
Current Opinion in Psychology Feb 2022In Western dual-educated, male-female marriages, women who divorce face greater burdens because of decreased income and primary or sole responsibility for caring for... (Review)
Review
In Western dual-educated, male-female marriages, women who divorce face greater burdens because of decreased income and primary or sole responsibility for caring for children than men who divorce. Why, then, do these women initiate divorce more and fare better psychologically after a divorce than men? Here, we articulate an evolutionary mismatch perspective, informed by key findings in relationship science. We argue that mismatches between women's evolved preferences and configurations of modern marriage often clash, producing dissatisfaction. Women's unprecedented career ascendance also affords women ever more freedom to leave. We discuss pressures from social expectations for men and women that contribute to or compound these vulnerabilities. We conclude with key questions for future research, which can contribute to strategies for mitigating relationship dissatisfaction and the profound loss and pain that results from divorce.
Topics: Biological Evolution; Child; Divorce; Female; Humans; Income; Male; Marriage; Socioeconomic Factors
PubMed: 34509971
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.07.020 -
The Journal of the Royal College of... Nov 1986
Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Divorce; England; Humans; Parent-Child Relations; Psychology, Child
PubMed: 3656260
DOI: No ID Found -
The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... Nov 2021Gray divorce, which describes divorce among persons aged 50 and older, is increasingly common reflecting the doubling of the gray divorce rate since 1990. Yet,...
OBJECTIVES
Gray divorce, which describes divorce among persons aged 50 and older, is increasingly common reflecting the doubling of the gray divorce rate since 1990. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the consequences of gray divorce and in particular how women and men fare economically during the aftermath.
METHOD
Using longitudinal data from the 2004-2014 Health and Retirement Study, we estimated hybrid fixed/random-effects models comparing women's and men's economic well-being prior to, during, and following gray divorce and subsequent repartnering.
RESULTS
Women experienced a 45% decline in their standard of living (measured by an income-to-needs ratio), whereas men's dropped by just 21%. These declines persisted over time for men, and only reversed for women following repartnering, which essentially offset women's losses associated with gray divorce. No gender gap emerged for changes in wealth following divorce with both women and men experiencing roughly a 50% drop. Similarly, repartnering was ameliorative only for women's wealth.
DISCUSSION
Gray divorce is often financially devastating, especially for women. Although repartnering seems to reverse most of the economic costs of gray divorce for women, few form new co-residential unions after divorce. This study offers a cautionary tale about the financial aftermath of gray divorce, which is likely to contribute to growing economic disadvantage among older adults.
Topics: Aged; Divorce; Financial Stress; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Income; Life Change Events; Male; Mental Health; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Stress, Psychological; United States
PubMed: 32906147
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa157