Divorce
Divorce is the legal termination of a marriage. About half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. As with any major life change, divorce can be very stressful, affecting finances, living arrangements, household jobs, schedules and more.
Approximately 40% of all children in the United States come from divorced families. While most children adjust well to their parents' split, 20 to 25% of children have trouble dealing with their parents' divorce. Many of the problems these children have can last into their adult years.
From Our Collection
Help Children Cope After Divorce
Researchers have found that teens who had received counseling as children were far more likely than those with no counseling to avoid mental health problems that often plague teens whose parents have split up. Surveys revealed that 23.5% of the teens who had no counseling or other help had mental health problems, compared with 11% of the teens who had been in the programs. Researchers also found that counseling in childhood reduced marijuana, alcohol, and other illegal drug use and number of sexual partners during the teen years.
Source: SAMHSA Family Guide
Apps
Sesame Street: Divorce
Provides parents and caregivers with tools to help children ages 2-8 cope with the many transitions related to divorce or separation.
Fact Sheets
Videos
Podcasts
The AAMFT Podcast, Episode 37: Divorce Therapy The AAMFT Podcast, Episode 40: The Grey Divorce
Trainings
Protecting Your Children During Separation and Divorce (NYU Child Study Center)