It is clear that a divorce puts a strain on family relationships, but data now reveals that it also affects future relationships. A divorce that takes place earlier in a child's life has a greater negative effect on future parent-child relationships than one that occurs when a child is older. Divorce during early childhood leads to future insecure relationships between the parent and child, in which the child is less able to trust the parent. Divorces also influence children's future romantic relationships.
Two recent studies in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin analyzed the timing and effects of divorce on parental and romantic relationships. The first study revealed that of the 7,735 individuals surveyed, those who experienced parental divorce were less likely to view their current relationships with their parents as secure. Individuals whose parents divorced between their birth and five years old were more insecure in their current relationships with their parents than those whose parents divorced later in childhood. There is also a tendency for individuals whose parents divorced to have more anxiety with romantic relationships.
A follow-up study with 7,500 subjects focused on how a divorce influences maternal and paternal relationships. Participants were asked which of their parents had been awarded primary custody following their divorce. The results of the study indicated that children were less likely to have an insecure relationship with the parent they were living with and were more likely to have an insecure relationship with the parent they were not living with.
The results of these studies demonstrate that relationships can be negatively impacted by divorces. Also, the amount of time a child is able to spend with a parent seems to correlate with the quality of that relationship. This research brings greater understanding as to why some individuals have difficulty being open and depending on others in their lives.
References: http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/07/01/divorce-troubles-younger-kids-later-relationship-with-parents/56687.html
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