Distress among young adults from divorced families.
Researchers find that most children from divorced families function normally, but some clinicians assert that young people are disturbed even many years after a divorce. These accounts may be less discrepant than they appear, because research typically focuses on notably problematic behavior (disorder), whereas case studies emphasize more subtle inner turmoil (distress). In Study 1 college students reported painful feelings, beliefs, and memories about their parents divorce on a reliable new measure, but they also reported accepting the divorce and having few psychological symptoms. Distress about family life was greater among students from divorced than from married families. Study 2 replicated these findings in a community sample of young people from low-income divorced families. In both studies, greater distress was associated with children's residence, frequency of contact with fathers, interparental conflict, and psychological symptoms.
Laumann-Billings
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Department of Psychology, Gilmer Hall, Box 400400, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, USA.
Emery
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RE
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002655:Child Custody; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities