Lingering Effects of Parental Divorce

Overview

This research project investigated how parental divorce experienced during childhood continues to shape the emotional, psychological, and relational lives of young adults. Conducted as part of my undergraduate thesis at UC Santa Cruz through the Pathways 2 Research program, the project was awarded $2,000 in research funding through the KORET Scholarship — a recognition of its scholarly merit and potential for meaningful impact.

The study went through the full IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval process prior to data collection, ensuring all research protocols met ethical standards for conducting in-depth interviews with human participants.

Impact: This research aims to inform parents about the downstream effects their conflict and separation can have on their children’s development — and to help young adults better understand why they perceive the world the way they do: how they show up in relationships, patterns of trust, emotional regulation, and more.

Research Questions

How do young adults describe the long-term emotional impact of their parents’ divorce?
In what ways does childhood parental divorce influence adult relationship patterns and attachment styles?
What coping mechanisms and protective factors emerge from participant accounts?

Methodology

A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative survey data with qualitative in-depth interviews to capture both the breadth and depth of participants’ experiences.

Survey

Designed and administered via Qualtrics using a convenience sampling strategy targeting UCSC students who had experienced parental divorce. Responses were analyzed using basic and descriptive statistics to identify trends, distributions, and central tendencies across the participant pool.

Survey questions included:

Age at the time of parents’ divorce
Level of conflict between parents prior to the divorce
Frequency of communication with each parent post-divorce
How the divorce affected relationships with people around them
Frequency of anxiety or depression experienced since the divorce
Overall emotional well-being rated before and after the divorce (scale of 1–10)
Extent to which professional help was sought for emotional or psychological issues post-divorce

Interviews

Conducted 20+ one-on-one semi-structured interviews, each 45–60 minutes in length, with participants who opted into the qualitative component. All interviews were conducted under IRB-approved protocols, with informed consent obtained prior to each session.

Interview questions explored:

Particular moments or events since the divorce that had a significant impact on emotional well-being or mental health
How participants navigate conflict or tension in family interactions stemming from the divorce
Challenges faced in adapting to life post-divorce
How perceptions of family and home changed as a result of the divorce

Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to surface recurring patterns across participant narratives.

Recurring Themes

Five major themes emerged consistently across both the survey data and interview transcripts:

Handling Conflict — Participants described heightened sensitivity to conflict and distinct strategies for managing or avoiding it in their own relationships
Coping Mechanisms — A range of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies surfaced, from seeking social support to emotional avoidance
Effects of Parental Presence/Absence — The physical and emotional availability of each parent post-divorce was closely tied to participants’ sense of security and self-worth
Mental Health Struggles — Elevated rates of anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation were reported, particularly during adolescence
Relationship Challenges — Many participants identified lasting difficulties with trust, commitment, and intimacy in their adult relationships

Key Findings

Participants consistently identified adolescence (ages 12–17) as the period of greatest lasting impact, regardless of when the divorce actually occurred
Strong social support networks — particularly close friendships — emerged as the most consistent protective factor against long-term negative outcomes
Many participants reported heightened anxiety around commitment and conflict in their own adult relationships, often tracing it directly to dynamics observed between their parents

Deliverables

Comprehensive thesis report with literature review, full methodology, findings, and actionable insights
Presentation of findings to faculty panel and peer researchers
Visual data summary translating quantitative results into accessible charts and narrative

Explore the Project

Visit the full research site to access the survey instruments, a detailed overview of findings, and supporting materials:

View Research Site →