Social and psychological wellbeing of children from divorced families: Australian research findings

Several commentators have proposed that overseas research on the adverse sequelae of parental divorce is not applicable to Australia. Arguments supporting this are critically assessed and rejected. Australian studies show that parental divorce is associated with many problems in adolescence and adulthood: poor academic achievement, low self-esteem, psychological distress, delinquency, recidivism, substance use, sexual precocity, adult criminal offending, depression, and suicidal behaviour. Less is known about childhood outcomes. There is no scientific justification for disregarding the social and psychological significance of parental divorce, and the importance of support services for children and parents should not be underestimated.