Children living in very dysfunctional families actually exhibited higher levels of antisocial behavior before their parents divorced than afterwards. The more dysfunctional the family was prior to divorce, the greater the children’s behavioral improvement following the event. Kids whose parents eventually divorced also displayed higher levels of anxiety and depression before the breakup, compared with children whose parents did not divorce. Most previous studies examining the impact of divorce on children’s mental health have compared children of divorce to those who live with both biological parents. But few have looked at the family situation before divorce as it related to children’s mental health.
Read more: Divorce Isn’t What Harms Kids’ Health, Study Finds, But How Parents Handle It Is – Romper