Wallerstein, J. The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study, published in 2000
Wallerstein’s findings:
- Five years after divorce, more than a third of children studied were experiencing moderate to severe depression.
- Ten years after divorce, a significant number of children studied were troubled, drifting, and underachieving.
- Fifteen years later, the children as adults were struggling to establish strong relationships of their own. In a word, they were relationally crippled.
Source: http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/childrenanddivorce/p/childrenmyths.htm
(I suppose I am a prime example. My own parents divorced when I was 12. Up to that time I was a top student, happy, outgoing and easily made friends. After the divorce, I became an average to less than average student, often sad and reflective, and shy and withdrawn with a low self esteem and not too good anymore at making friends).