The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children: An Update

The divorce rate has increased in the United States and most European countries since the 1960s. Public and scientific concern about the consequences of divorce for adults and children has generated a large research literature. Most studies find that divorced adults experience more mental and physical health problems than do married adults. Similarly, most studies find that children with divorced parents experience more mental and physical health problems than do children with continuously married parents. Available research suggests that these associations are partly spurious (due to selection effects) and partly due to the stress associated with marital disruption. People's reactions to divorce are highly variable, with the speed and degree of adjustment depending on a variety of resources and post-divorce circumstances. In the United States, several types of court- and community-based programs appear to facilitate parents' and children's adjustment to divorce.