The Impact of Parents' Divorce on Children's Mental and Physical Health

Should we stay for the kids? Is the first question that comes to our mind when thinking
about the effects of divorce in a family. Millions of families around the world are impacted
by the rising dominance of divorce. Although divorce is generally a decision made by
adults, it has a significant outcome in children. This essay will label the significant impact
of divorce on children, as it can lead to mental and physical health issues, problems with
maintaining connections and low academic performance because of their parents' divorce.

First, one of the main effects on children might be feeling a range of sensations as their
family dissolves due to divorce, including sadness, anger, confusion, and anxiety.
Children frequently experience a deep sense of loss as their family goes through a
considerable change. Even after the divorce is official, there may still be emotional chaos,
which could result in problems like melancholy and low self-esteem. According to a
journal written by Simons, Lin, Gordon, Conger, & Lorenz (1999) they claim that “boys
with divorced parents tended to be more depressed than those from two-parent families
regardless of the psychological adjustment, level of conflict, or quality of parenting
manifested by their parents” (p1020). Moreover, children of divorced parents are more
likely to suffer from mental illness because of emotional stress, changes in family
dynamics, and emotional pain, all of which are compounded by the uncertainty and
violence during separation. This stress can impair the immune system, making young
people more vulnerable to sickness, contributing to headaches, stomachaches, and sleep
problems that may resort to harmful coping techniques or damaging behaviors such as
overeating, substance abuse, or self-harm.

Secondly, divorce can affect how children build and maintain connections. Children may
struggle to trust others because they are afraid that people, they care about will abandon
them, just like their parents did. This fear of abandonment can make it difficult for them
to build good and secure relationships in the future. Moreover, children of divorced
parents fear being rejected, and a lack of trust frequently hinders a deepening of their
relationship. Parental divorce frequently results in low trust among children, and those
who date casually demonstrate "the strongest effects of parental divorce, implying that
the repercussions of parental divorce may be in place before the young adults form their
own romantic relationships." (Jacquet & Surra, 2001, p627)
Thirdly, divorce can have repercussion on the academic side. One study found that
children from divorced families exhibit more academic and psychological problems.
Separation can correlate with diminished school achievement and performance. Also, has
been found that the deleterious effect of divorce on children’s well-being is a crucial factor
in poor math and reading scores (Potter, 2010). Besides that, it is scientifically proved
that children with divorced parents are less likely to complete school, have lower grades,
higher rates of absenteeism, and lower rates of graduation. In addition to all this points,
an important thing we should pay attention to is the search for alternative parental figures
to fulfill that emotional void left by the absent parent. This can only lead to attachment
issues, role confusion and an emotional chaos due to the fear of feeling abandoned again.

In conclusion, divorce has persuasive weakening effects on children's emotional and

physical health. Divorce can cause emotional confusion, psychological pain, and physical
health issues for children. It is important to emphasize, however, that not all children are
affected in the same way, and that a variety of factors, such as support networks and
resilience, have a significant role in shaping their outcomes.

There are multiple things that we can do to help children overcome this situation step by
step. With the right support, children of divorced parents can thrive and live happily.

Bibliografía
Jacquet, & Surra. (2001). Obtenido de https://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/The-Effects-of-
Divorce-on-Children.pdf

Potter. (2010). Obtenido de https://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/The-Effects-of-Divorce-on-

Children.pdf

Simons, R. L., Lin, K.-H., Gordon, L., Conger, R., & Lorenz, F. (1999). Obtenido de
https://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/The-Effects-of-Divorce-on-Children.pdf