The Effects of Parental Divorce During Childhood on College Students

Abstract

This study compared 87 college students who experienced parental divorce between the ages of 8 and 18 with 67 who experienced parental death at the same ages, and 87 whose parents have been continuously married. All participants were currently ages 18 to 28. Adult offspring of divorced parents reported significantly more current life stress, family conflict, and avoidant coping, and less supportive parenting (before divorce), family cohesion, and friend support than the other two comparison groups. Further, these variables were significantly related to children of divorced parents' greater reports of current antisocial behavior, anxiety, and depression than their peers. The results suggest that these variables are useful targets for preventive interventions for college students.

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