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Gray divorce and parent-child disconnectedness: Implications for depressive symptoms
I-Fen Lin1, Susan L Brown1, Kagan A Mellencamp2
1Department of Sociology and Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA.
Journal of Marriage and the Family
|September 2, 2025
Summary
Parent-child disconnectedness worsens mental health during gray divorce (divorce after 50). Lack of contact with adult children exacerbates negative impacts, affecting both mothers and fathers.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology
- Psychology
Background:
- Gray divorce (divorce after age 50) is rising.
- The impact of parent-adult child relationships on adjustment to gray divorce is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how parent-adult child relationship dynamics, specifically disconnectedness, affect parental well-being after gray divorce.
- To assess if parent-child disconnectedness influences depressive symptom trajectories around divorce and repartnering.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 1998-2018 Health and Retirement Study panel data from 930 individuals experiencing gray divorce.
- Employed growth curve models to analyze depressive symptoms before, during, and after divorce.
- Investigated the association between lack of contact with adult children and mental health outcomes.
Main Results:
- Parent-child disconnectedness significantly worsened the negative mental health effects of gray divorce for both mothers and fathers.
- No contact with at least one adult child did not negate the temporary positive mental health effects of repartnering after divorce.
Conclusions:
- Parent-child disconnectedness represents an additional stressor for parents navigating gray divorce.
- Maintaining parent-adult child connections is crucial for parental well-being following divorce later in life.
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