Psychology News
A team of researchers at the Ohio State University provided interesting insights into patterns of family estrangement. The study is published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
The Study
The researchers surveyed data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in 1979 and the Child and Young Adult supplement study in the US. They assessed adult child estrangement from mothers and fathers, based on gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality.
The Findings
The results revealed interesting insights into intergenerational relationships, particularly patterns of estrangement between adult children and their parents. Adult children are four times more likely to be estranged from their fathers than their mothers.
The authors elaborated: “One of the messages from this study is that estrangement between adult children and their parents is fairly common, especially with fathers. But these estrangements tend to end eventually.”
To Know More You May Refer To
Reczek, R., Stacey, L., & Thomeer, M. B. (2022). Parent–adult child estrangement in the United States by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality. Journal of Marriage and Family. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12898
