Does the timing of divorce matter? Parental divorce, interparental conflict, and young adult well-being

Abstract

The present study compared participants from intact families to those from families where parental divorce occurred before the participant was 18 years old and families where the divorce occurred after the participant was 18 years old. The groups were compared on levels of interparental conflict, mother and father attachment, relationship anxiety, and relationship satisfaction. The intact group reported having less interparental conflict while growing up, a more secure attachment to their mothers and fathers, less relationship anxiety, and more relationship satisfaction than participants from the two divorce groups. There were no differences between the two divorce groups on any of the study variables.