Sorrow and Ambivalence of Intergenerational Estrangement in Later Life

Estrangement from adult children can be a painful experience. However, it remains to be investigated how older parents relate to estrangement and what factors predict these sentiments. This article investigated older parents' sentiments toward estrangement on dimensions of sorrow, ambivalence, and relief. Parent demographics and estrangement characteristics duration, initiative, and estrangement proportions were examined as predictors of parent sentiments. The study utilized cross-sectional data from 75 older estranged parents aged 75+ (m = 82). Descriptive statistics were used to determine the proportions of parent sentiments, demographics, and estrangement characteristics. Multiple logistic regression tested the predictive capacity of demographics and estrangement characteristics. The analysis found that sorrow and ambivalence both constituted parent sentiments, but not relief. More women than men expressed sorrow, while more men than women expressed ambivalence. Estrangement from all children was associated with ambivalence. Results support a theoretical emphasis on ambivalence as a framework for the understanding of estrangement and have implications for interventions aimed at reconciliation.