Divorce comes with its own special brand of parental guilt. Alas, a recent study conducted by researchers at the University College London has found that divorce may be affecting your children even more than you realize.
The Physical and Emotional Tolls of Divorce on Your Children
In short, children of divorce may be more susceptible to certain types of health problems later in life. For people whose parents divorced before their children reached age 16, the kids had significantly higher levels of C-reaction protein, which is a blood marker of inflammation that’s associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease.
But it might not be the divorce itself that’s causing children harm, rather the social and environmental circumstances and disadvantages surrounding divorce. In fact, economic hardships and fewer educational opportunities may be the culprits behind these health problems.
This new information comes on the heels of a 2011 study that found children of divorce are more likely to contemplate suicide later in life than the children of parents who stay married. A more recent study also found that children who were under the age of five when their parents divorced had a greater level of insecurity in their parental relationships than kids whose parents divorced when they were older.
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Divorce Affects Children in a Multitude of Ways
Recent reports have also noted the following effects of divorce on children:
- Men whose parents divorced before they turned 18 were 48 percent more likely to smoke.
- Children of divorced parents often have poor math and social skills, and an increased likelihood of dropping out of school.
- Anxiety, stress, and low self-esteem are commonly associated with children of divorce.
- Children of divorce have a 9 percent higher risk of developing health problems than all children.
And, not surprisingly, children of divorced parents have a greater chance of getting divorced themselves. Though they may aspire to a strong relationship, children of divorce are more likely to marry young and more likely to marry someone who also comes from a divorced family – kind of a double whammy before the marriage even begins.
Work with a Mt. Clemens, Michigan, divorce attorney to navigate your Michigan divorce successfully and with as little impact on your children as possible. Contact us to schedule your no-cost .