title: Young adults and parental divorce: exploring important issues.
abstract: This article discusses the potential impact of parental divorce on the lives of young adult offspring.  Parental divorce may upset both social and psychological aspects of the transition to adulthood process.  The family roles young adults are expected to assume could be altered by the break-up, as could opportunities for particular young adult pursuits, such as advanced education.  Heightened adjustment problems also are likely to result, as divorce produces additional life changes during the highly transitional period of early adulthood.  Qualitative data from an exploratory study of 39 college students, ages 18-23, illustrate many of the relevant issues.  Suggestions for future research are provided.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Cooney
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000569:Americas; D001519:Behavior; D003710:Demography; D019049:Developed Countries; D004243:Divorce; D004467:Economics; D004493:Education; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations; D007182:Income; D008393:Marriage; D009656:North America; D010290:Parents; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D011584:Psychology; D012574:Schools; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities
keywords: Adolescents; Adult; Age Factors; Americas; Behavior; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Divorce; Economic Factors; Education; Educational Status; Family And Household; Family Characteristics; Family Relationships; Income; North America; Northern America; Nuptiality; Parents; Population; Population Characteristics; Psychological Factors; Psychosocial Factors; Schools; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; Students; United States; Universities; Youth