Offspring of divorced parents more likely to have suicidal thoughts, study says

By Staff Writer

The report, which appears in the journal Psychiatry, examined a survey of more than 6,000 adults - 695 of whom had experienced parental divorce before the age of 18. The study found that men from divorced families were more than three times more likely to have considered suicide compared to participants whose parents had not divorced. Adult women whose parents split up were 83 percent more likely than their female peers who did not grow up in a broken home.

Researchers found that the link between divorce and suicidal ideation in women was largely connected to other childhood stressors, such as parental addiction, physical abuse and parental unemployment. However, men who had experienced divorced parents were still significantly more likely to have suicidal thoughts even when the other stressors were removed.

The study's authors surmised that children who do not have a father figure in their lives experience adverse developmental effects into adulthood. They added that these findings are not intended to create panic among divorced parents because many of the study's participants grew up to live healthy, adult lives.

Troubled teen programs, such as wilderness therapy, may help adolescents receive the support and treatment they need to develop a positive outlook on life.