Research on Divorce: Continuing Trends and New Developments

“…results of the present study demonstrated the small effect size of divorce associated with depression in children and adolescents and the tendency for the negative effects of divorce on youth to gradually decrease over time, which further re fl ects the view that divorce has a limited impact (128).”

“Findings like these buttress the need for prevention-oriented research (Amato, 2010; Markman et al., 2004).”

“On the one hand, findings have consistently shown a negative correlation of postdivorce interparental conflict with children’s well-being (Amato, 2010; Baxter, Weston, & Qu, 2011; Kelly, 2012; McIntosh, Smyth, Kelaher, Wells, & Long, 2010).”

“Previous research has shown that divorce has a negative effect on individuals’ physical, psychological, and economic well-being (Amato 2000, 2010).”

“In recent years, some divorce researchers have used a “multiple transition perspective,” through which they examine how transitions following a divorce account for variance in outcomes (Amato, 2010, p. 657).”

“The risk of bias associated with this study design and the need for longitudinal studies with information on such factors were mentioned already in early studies on this topic [15,16].”

“…health outcomes; marital separation; sleep Marital separation and divorce are associated with many negative social, psychological, and physical health outcomes (Amato, 2010), including increased risk for all-cause mortality (Sbarra, Law, & Portley, 2011; Shor, Roelfs, Bugyi, & Schwartz, 2012).”

“However, as Amato ( 2010 ) points out, the theoretical and empirical work on exactly how commitment relates to marriage is underdeveloped.”

“Many children born to single mothers experience the entry of a new partner, and many born to married parents experience a divorce and new family structures as parents negotiate single, dating, and partnered lives (Amato, 2010; Cherlin, 2009).”

“Change in the U.S. Remarriage Rate, 2008 and 2016 National Center for Family & Marriage Research Nearly half of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce (Amato, 2010; Cherlin, 2010).”

“Within household environments, spousal interactions and socioeconomic performance profoundly affect spousal relationships (Amato, 2010; Phillips et al.”

“Although children are at increased risk for a wide range of problem outcomes following parental divorce (Amato, 2010), most children adapt well and do not experience serious problem outcomes (Kelly, 2012).”

“…of divorce (ACOD) Despite the negative socioemotional consequences associated with parental divorce (e.g. identity, relational outcomes, happiness; Amato, 1999, 2010; Cookston & Remy, 2015), scholars have identified communication as a key resource for mitigating detrimental outcomes and promoting…”

“Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is a significant risk factor for divorce (Amato, 2010) and widowhood (Sullivan & Fenelon, 2014).”

“Similarly, Amato (2010) also noted that there is a shift from a dominant pattern of lifelong marriage to multiple marriages and relationships.”

“range in adjustment among individuals in heterogeneous populations (Amato, 2010).”

“Over the past decades, the share of lone parent households increased in many Western countries due to the rise of union dissolution and childbirth outside of marriage (e.g., Amato, 2010; Sobotka & Toulemon, 2008).”

“Although divorce is viewed as a negative factor of wellbeing (Amato, 2010; Chi, 2016), this study, as well as Dong’s (2016) study, revealed a positive relationship between the divorce rate andwell-being.”

“Additionally, divorce rates rose before plateauing at the end of the century (with differences in rates by race, immigration status, and educational attainment; Amato, 2010).”

“…selection hypothesis suggests that there is a predominance of mentally healthy individuals who get and stay married while unhealthy individuals to a larger extent tend to stay single or get divorced, that is health problems ‘select’ people in and out of marriage (Amato, 2010; Wade & Pevalin, 2004).”

“The current study supports that children of separation are more likely than children of non-separated families to experience emotional and behavioral difficulties (Amato, 2000, 2001, 2010; Breivik & Olweus, 2006; Greene et al., 2003).”

“The U.S. divorce rate has remained relatively stable over the past 20 years (Amato, 2010), with an estimated 813,862 divorces in 2014 (National Center for Health Statistics, Center for Disease Control, 2015).”

“Despite welldocumented racial and socioeconomic differences in divorce (Amato, 2010), the results here found only modest evidence that such processes were at play when distinguishing between trajectory memberships.”

“The category (EDUC VOCATIONAL) is deleted and included in two new categories ‘Upper secondary or vocational training at secondary level’ (EDUC UPPERSECV) and ‘Tertiary education-Higher national diploma or advanced 11 INEE (2010) gives more details. vocational training’ (EDUC DIPLOMAV) (Amato, 2010; Bramlett & Mosher,…”

“Previous studies on this show mixed results (Amato, 2010), although most do not account for the endogeneity of the father’s departure from the household.”

“Many demographic variables such as age at marriage, education, divorce history, and interracial marriage are strongly associated with the risk of divorce (Amato, 2010; Lehrer, 2008).”

“Also, as mentioned, such demographic and socioeconomic factors are important to consider, as they often have a bearing on marital satisfaction and marital outcomes (Amato, 2010).”

“Prior research on CODPs summarized by Amato (2000, 2010) indicated mixed findings with regard to sex differences in adjustment outcomes in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.”

“…indicator of good psychological functioning, focused on: self-efficacy, coping, social skills, social maturity, autonomy, internal locus of control, self-esteem, extroversion and optimism, among others (Amato, 2000, 2010; Demo & Fine, 2010; Gaffal, 2010; MuñozEguileta, 2007; Tschann et al., 1989).”

“Many scientific studies focus on the problems that both couples and children experience during and after separation (Amato, 2010; Öngider, 2013; Özabacı. et al., 2015; Symoens. et al., 2014).”

“Given the preponderance of residential mother households in post-divorce families (Amato, 2010), as well as the greater tendency for men to be withdrawers in D/W conflict (Schrodt et al.”

“…with two biological parents have higher levels of well-being, on average than children in stepfamilies and single-parent households, in part because two-biological-parent 869 H. Hautala et al. 1 3 families are usually better equipped to provide key resources (Amato, 2010; Carr & Springer, 2010).”

“Studies about divorce at younger ages show that employment and earnings are negatively related to the risk of divorce (Amato 2010), while others also suggest that the effect of employment and income is ambiguous among women.”

“This standard is based upon literature indicating benefits to children when parents cooperate after divorce and minimize children’s exposure to conflict (Amato, 2010).”

“There is some evidence that having additional supportive adults is beneficial for offspring in postdivorce families (Amato, 2010).”

“Recent research has paid much attention to the growing educational disparities in family dissolution (e.g., Amato, 2010; Härkönen&Dronkers, 2006;McLahanan, 2004), but this interest has not been matched by a similar focus on family dissolution patterns by parental educational background.”

“Divorced parents may experience economic hardship and psychological distress (Amato, 2010), which can lead them to seek assistance from relatives in caring for their children.”

“Women who bear children prior to marriage are more likely to divorce (Amato 2010).”

“Remarriage (time-invariant) was coded 1 if for at least one spouse it was a remarriage and 0 when both spouses were in their first marriage. Marital quality captured patterns of marital interaction as reported independently by husbands and wives at baseline interview. The measure was constructed using two items. One i…”

“Divorce and Well-being Although several studies have found that divorce has a negative effect on fathers’ well-being (e.g., Amato 2010; Williams and DunneBryant 2006), there is also evidence that leaving an unhappy marriage is better than staying in it (Hawkins and Booth 2005; Waite et al.”

“When these, and other factors, are accounted for in statistical models, the greater instability observed in second marriages is significantly diminished (Amato, 2010; Sweeney, 2010).”

“The limited body of research on multiple transitions notes that divorce is most disruptive for those who experience multiple parental divorces (Amato, 2010).”

“and the time passed since separation (Amato 2010).”

“Parents who are divorced also experience a number of other psychological problems at increased rates, including depression and anxiety (for a review, see Amato, 2010).”

“In general, these family transitions have been characterized as stressful and negative for mothers and children (Amato, 2010; Bachman, Coley, & Carrano, 2011; Cooper, Osborne, Beck, & McLanahan, 2011; Goodnight et al., 2013; Osborne & McLanahan, 2007).”

“As Amato (2010) points out, other studies suggest that the consequences of divorce for children depend on the quality of intra-family relationships prior to the divorce.”

“Family demographers have documented that divorced men and women have, on average, poorer physical health and higher mortality rates than their married, nevermarried, and widowed counterparts (Amato 2010; Carr and Springer 2010; Koball et al. 2010; Liu and Umberson 2008; Schoenborn 2004).”

“A large body of literature has established persistent links between parental marital status and outcomes among their offspring (Amato, 2010), even across generations (Amato & Cheadle, 2005), despite modest disagreements in regard to outcomes during the preschool years (Foster & Kalil, 2007; Ryan &…”

“Newly separated individuals are likely busy arranging practical consequences of the divorce, such as finding a new house, adopting a new financial situation, and rearranging their routines as a single individual (Amato, 2010).”

“Family stress and coping theory (Boss, Bryant, and Mancini, 2017) suggests that parental divorce is a stressful life event that could affect parent-child interactions and relationship, which subsequently impact child adjustment (Amato, 2000).”

“According to the divorce stress-adjustment perspective [25], divorce in itself does not lead to negative consequences on family members, but rather to family life changes and stressful circumstances surrounding divorce that increase the risk of a variety of problems among children.”

“Negative effects have been seen for young children (Amato, 2010; Stadelmann, Perren, Groeben, & von Klitzing, 2010), adolescents (Amato, 2010; Grych, Fincham, Jouriles, & McDonald, 2000), and young adults (Hetherington & Stanley-Hagan, 1999; Sobolewski & Amato, 2007).”

“The lack of parental involvement in the education of children negatively effects the economic and cultural capital of their children (Amato 2010; Kim 2011; Sun et al.”

“Compared to children living in nuclear families, children living in post-separation families have, on average, lower scores on a range of health outcomes (Amato 2010; Cavanagh and Fomby 2019; Härkönen et al. 2017).”

“However, the current body of empirical research is still rather controversial (Amato 2010).”

“The first four might be called universal themes as they show up consistently in literature from both the East and the West.”

“Over recent decades, there has been a profound change in partnership transitions over the life course, with a substantial increase in union dissolutions in many countries (Amato 2010).”

“…considering the prevalence, determinants, and consequences of family structure change, particularly with regard to changes in union status through divorce (Amato, 2010), remarriage (Sweeney, 2010), and cohabitation formation and dissolution (Manning, 2015; Manning, Smock, & Majumdar, 2004).”

“At present, divorce research is predominantly focused on divorces of first marriages, even though the process of finding a partner and then leaving a partner could occur numerous times over a person’s entire life course (Amato 2010).”

“…zeigen im Vergleich zu Kindern aus intakten Familien vielfältige Verhaltensauffälligkeiten, ein geringeres Selbstwertgefühl, Beziehungsprobleme mit Gleichaltrigen und eine schlechtere psychische sowie physische Gesundheit [Amato, 2010; Cummings und Davies, 2010; Lansford, 2009].”

“Previti and Amato (2003) found that couples who chose to stay in marriages for rewards (e.g., love, friendship, communication, commitment to spouse, respect) were more likely to be happy in their marriages than those who chose to stay because of barriers (e.g., children, religion, financial need, commitment to marriag…”

“For example, divorced men and women tend to have higher levels of depression than the continuously married (Amato, 2010).”

“Published by Cambridge University Press of marriage deterioration (Amato, 2010), it is especially important to investigate the mechanisms underlying marital satisfaction.”