Effect of timing of parental divorce on the vulnerability of children to depression in young adulthood.
The significance of a child's age at parents' divorce on later well-being was studied. In a population-based follow-up study from age 16 to 22, children who had experienced parental divorce before school age (n = 134), in latency at age 7 to 12 (n = 129), and in adolescence at age 13 to 16 (n = 71) were compared. In young adulthood, 24% of the boys who had experienced parental divorce in latency were depressive as compared with 9% and 6% in the other two groups, respectively. Interpersonal problems in adolescence predicted depression in young adulthood especially in the group of latency-aged boys. Among girls, depression was independent of the timing of parental divorce.
Department of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland.
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Palosaari
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012307:Risk Factors