How Divorce Plays a Role in the Development of Depression Among

We can all admit that while divorce is hard for everyone involved, it has its most adverse effects on the couple’s children. The sudden news, the uncertainty, the confusion on what decisions to make, and the idea of not being a family anymore are, for them, pills that can be hard to digest. Children going through this transition are bound to feel emotionally weak and overwhelmed, experiencing all kinds of emotions ranging from sadness, anger, confusion, guilt, loneliness, and anxiety. Depending upon the age of the children, the banter between the parents, and sociocultural aspects, this period can have different levels of impact on different children. If the couple only has a single child, the child might have a hard time coping with the process as he or she may not have a companion they can relate to. Divorce comes with a lot of lifestyle changes such as new family dynamics, relationships, and living conditions. All these sudden changes can cause children to retract into a world of their own, lose interest in social activities, perform poorly in academics, and could even lose faith in the institution of marriage.

Parental divorce has also been found to act as a predisposing factor for depression for children later in their lives. A study on parental separation in childhood as a risk factor for depression in adulthood found that depressed adolescents with separated parents had more risk of recurrence of depression in adulthood, compared to those with non-separated parents. It was also found that among teenagers with depression, parental separation was related to an increased risk of a switch to bipolar disorder in adulthood. The adverse effects of parental divorce can last well into the adulthood years of the children. Another study in the UK followed 17,414 individuals from ages 7 to 33. It was found that experiencing parental divorce during childhood worsened the mental health conditions of the children, especially in their 20s and 30s. It was also found that children from broken homes are twice as likely to attempt suicide as compared to other children.

The question arises, why do divorces impact a child’s mental health so much? Apart from the obvious reasons of increased loneliness, doubts, and anxiety, researchers suggest that a major factor could be the reduced social support the child receives. After a divorced is finalized, depending upon who gets custody of the child, the child spends most of his or her time with that parent. This can result in drifting away from the other parent. Approximately 25% of all children live with only one parent and this is usually the mother; since around 90% of divorced mothers get custody of the children. As much love and time that the parent devotes to the child, very often it cannot replace the social support that is lost due to the divorce. The child might also isolate him or herself from social gatherings and friend groups which can further reduce social support.

Another factor could be how the child perceives the relationship between his or her parents after the divorce. Some may experience major conflict in the relationship, such as verbal and physical abuse, constant fighting, hostility, and threats. This can cause the child to feel threatened and unsafe and if not coped with, can lead to the development of anxiety.

Divorce could also result in economic loss and further lead to harder lifestyle changes that could reduce the quality of living. Poverty and harsh living conditions can be some of the most significant social determinants of mental illnesses. Poverty can act at multiple levels and have social as well as biological mechanisms. Financial stress, chronic and stressful exposure to life events, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis changes, changes in other brain circuits such as language processing and executive functioning, inadequate nutrition, parental psychopathology, low parental warmth, hostile and inconsistent parenting, and neglect are some of these factors.

While there is proof that children of divorce are at a higher risk of developing depression or other mental health conditions, it is not necessary that all children of divorce experience depression. This could be attributed to various sociocultural as well as individual factors. It is important to make sure that such children get the love and care they need and grow up healthy and happy. There are several ways in which this can be done.

Effective parenting has been proved to be a great way of making sure the child grows in a healthy environment. This involves the care and nurturing from the parents paired with effective discipline and limit-setting. Children sometimes tend to blame themselves for their parents’ divorce. In order to prevent this from happening, the parents must ensure to the children that the divorce has nothing to do with them, that they shall remain their parents nonetheless, and that nothing will stop them from loving them and caring for them. They should also give the child a safe space to express his or her feelings of fear and worries about the divorce.

Other social relationships such as those the child has with his or her friends and teachers also play a key role in shaping the child’s mental health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, researchers found that teachers often tend to show a bias against children of divorce. This can lead to the child feeling left out and this bias can further affect the student’s academic, social, and emotional functioning. Students who face such a bias are thus at an increased risk for long-term mental health struggles later on in life.

Controlling the conflicts between parents is also essential. Being exposed to violence and abuse between the two parents can cause the child to lose faith in relationships and be damaging to his or her mental health even later on in life. The development of a cordial and respectful relationship between the parents, having clear-cut boundaries and the commitment of providing for the needs of their child works the best.

Divorce thus can impact the child negatively; but with care, love, and commitment, the child can grow up in a healthy environment without fear or anxiety and be supportive of both his or her parents equally.

References:

 Manager, J. (2020, October 17). Effects of Divorce on Children’s Mental Health. Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.genpsych.com/post/effects-of-divorce-on-children-s-mental-health

13 Devastating Children of Divorce Statistics – LegalJobSite. (2020, April 25). Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://legaljobsite.net/children-of-divorce-statistics/

Addressing Poverty and Mental Illness. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/addressing-poverty-and-mental-illness

Preventing Mental Health Effects of Divorce on Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/August-2017/Preventing-Mental-Health-Effects-of-Divorce-on-Chi

Website Menu. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2020, from https://www.familymeans.org/effects-of-divorce-on-children.html