Children who witness their divorced parents’ quarrel are more likely to have mental health problems due to ‘separation anxiety’
- US researchers questioned 559 children aged 9–18 about conflicts between parents
- They found that the more parents argued, the more anxious children became
- In addition, the team said these fears persisted for at least three months
- Children with a stronger bond with their fathers were at greater risk
Mental health problems are more common in children who watch their newly divorced parents fight because they have a “ separation anxiety, ” a study warns.
US researchers surveyed 559 children – each between the ages of nine and 18 – about their exposure to and feelings for parental conflict.
The team found that children trapped in the crossfire of a failed marriage are more mentally vulnerable, especially if they have a close relationship with their father.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 108,421 couples in the UK divorced in 2019 – about a 19 percent increase from the previous year.
Mental health problems are more common in children who watch their newly divorced parents fight because they have a ‘separation anxiety,’ a study has warned (stock image)
“Conflict is a glaring stressor for children,” said paper author and psychologist Karey O’Hara of Arizona State University.
“The link between parental conflict exposure and childhood mental health problems is well established in all family types, married, cohabiting, divorced and divorced,” she continued.
“Conflicts between divorced or divorced parents predicted that children feared being abandoned by one or both parents.”
“This feeling was associated with future mental health problems, especially for those who had strong ties to their fathers.”
Previous studies have shown that children see their parents fighting as a threat, often leaving them wondering if their family is breaking up.
In their study, Professor O’Hara and colleagues examined 559 children aged 9–18 about their exposure to marital conflict – specifically, whether their parents fought for them, spoke badly about the other parent, or asked them to pass messages.
The researchers found that children who witnessed their parents’ fighting expressed more concern about being abandoned by one or both caregivers.
These concerns seem to be long-lasting – they persisted for three months after the children were first questioned.
Children who witnessed parental conflict were also more likely to develop mental health problems after 10 months, the team found.
“If parents who are married or living together come into conflict, the child may be concerned that their parents will separate,” said Professor O’Hara.
“But children whose parents are divorced or divorced have already experienced the dissolution of their family.”
“The idea that they might be abandoned may be unlikely, but not illogical from their perspective.”
Previous studies have shown that having a strong relationship with a parent can help protect a child from stress.
Given this, the researchers expected that children who were close to their mother or father would do better than others – but this was not the case.
“A strong father-child relationship came at a cost when there were many conflicts between parents,” explains Dr. O’Hara.
“Having a high-quality parenting relationship is protective, but quality parenting alone may not be enough in the context of high levels of interparental conflict between divorced parents.”
Parents getting divorced may therefore want to think twice before having “ a housekeeper ” for their kids, the team suggested.
The full findings of the study are published in the journal Child Development.