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Annotated Bibliography on the Implications of Parental Divorce on Child Development

Azaarine Haque

Department of Psychology, Georgetown University

PSYC 2600: Lifespan Development

Professor Linklater

September 15, 2024

Annotated Bibliography on the Implications of Parental Divorce on Child Development

Auersperg, F., Vlasak, T., Ponocny, I., & Barth, A. (2019). Long-term effects of parental divorce on mental health – A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 119, 107-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2019.09.011

The authors conducted a meta-analysis of research on the effects of parental divorce on the mental health of children, including many aspects of mental health such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol and drug use. They included 54 studies published between 1990 and 2017, which means the total sample size was 506,299 participants. They found a consistent negative association between parental divorce and mental health outcomes, meaning children of divorced parents were more likely to be depressed, anxious, and have problems with drug and alcohol use. However, the effect sizes decreased over time, indicating that the effects of divorce are becoming less severe. They authors conclude that interventions should focus on improving mental health of children of divorced parents.

Brand, J. E., Moore, R., Song, X., & Xie, Y. (2019). Parental divorce is not uniformly disruptive to children's educational attainment.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,  116(15), 7266–7271. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1813049116

Brand et al. (2019) used longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to assess the effects of parental divorce on children’s educational attainment, with a sample size of 8,319 children. They used the family’s socioeconomic status and well-being to assess parents’ likelihood of divorce and then predicted how much education the children would get. Interestingly, there were no effects on children’s educational attainment when divorced parents had risk factors for divorce, such as economic instability and family conflict. However, children from more advantaged backgrounds whose parents divorced were less likely to go to or complete college. The authors theorized it is shortsighted to focus only on whether parents stay married. Instead, interventions should address economic instability and family conflict to improve children’s educational outcomes.

Harman, J. J., Warshak, R. A., Lorandos, D., & Florian, M. J. (2022). Developmental psychology and the scientific status of parental alienation. Developmental Psychology, 58(10), 1887–1911. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001404

In this detailed literature review regarding the implications of divorce of child development, Harman et al. (2022) endeavored to describe the various reactions that can result from interparental conflict, covering the psychological analysis behind each response. Ranging from the endangerment of emotional security to the potential negative effects of manipulative parenting strategies, Harman et al. tackled the nuanced consequences of divorce. Furthermore, utilizing the criteria of a well-designed experiment, they conducted research studies to supplement their discussion. The diverse selections of narratives studied provided the researchers with a comprehensive understanding of different psychological reactions to parental separation. Through this literature review and research study, knowledge of varied psychological reactions to divorce was obtained and added to the project. 

Karhina, K., Bøe, T., Hysing, M., Nilsen, S. A., & Sivertsen, B. (2023). Parental separation, negative life events and mental health problems in adolescence. BMC Public Health, 23(1), Article 2446.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17307-x

Karhina et al. (2023) surveyed 7,953 Norwegian adolescents ages 15–17 years whose parents were either living together or living apart (divorced or separated), assessing the prevalence of conduct problems, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, depression and anxiety symptoms, perceived economic well-being, and serious negative life events such violence and deaths of someone close to them. Adolescents whose parents lived separately had more depression and anxiety symptoms and were exposed to more negative life events than adolescents whose parents lived together. However, when the researchers accounted for interactions between the variables, they concluded that parental separation/divorce did not cause mental health problems but rather that the negative effects of these factors were additive.

Nunes-Costa, R. A., Lamela, D. J., & Figueiredo, B. F. (2009). Psychosocial adjustment and physical health in children of divorce. Jornal de Pediatria, 85(5), 385–396. https://doi.org/10.2223/jped.1925

In this article, Nunes-Costa et al. addressed both the psychological effects of parental divorce on individuals as well as the physical disadvantages that can occur. Through their findings, Nunes-Costa, Lamela, & Figueiredo ascertain that developmental damages are not spurred by divorce itself but rather the consequences of marital separation. Economic distress, conflicting parenting styles, lack of social and emotional support, and the presence of mental disorders in parental figures all contribute to the deterioration of healthy developmental statuses. Difficulties in academic settings, compromised immune systems, and concerning behaviors appear to be prolonged effects of parental divorce, supporting the notion that divorce leads to maladjusted behaviors in adulthood. Through this article, informative discussions on the physical implications of divorce were obtained and added to the project. 

Azaarine Haque is an incoming undergraduate student at Georgetown University. Her current passions include the fields of chemistry and psychology, topics she will pursue in her college career. Here at APA, she currently serves in the APA Style branch as a High School Intern. Azaarine is most excited to work on projects that will assist in integrating APA Style into high school curriculums. Her educational and professional interests surround medicine. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, spending time with family and friends, and participating in outdoor activities.