Parents who divorced in Maryland might be aware that divorce affects every member of the family. However, they might not at first understand how it can have concealed, long-term effects on children. Depending on how the divorce unfolds and how the family relationships develop, children of divorced parents can continue to suffer the effects from the end of their parent’s marriage into adulthood.
Effects that can have a lasting impact on children
There are some effects of divorce that might not be easily identified because they tend to unfold after the divorce process. However, these effects are directly related to the dissolution of the marriage. Some of these effects include the child:
- feeling abandoned as a parent chooses to prioritize a new relationship and any children from that relationship
- having to take responsibility for taking care of siblings and even for a parent
- having an inheritance either decrease in value or be eliminated altogether
- becoming the long-term care-taker of both parents as they age or get ill
Negative effects of divorce on children can have health-related consequences
As children grow and deal with the after-effects of divorce, they can begin to have health-related consequences. These can include mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and PTSD as well as physical health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Children who experience the negative effects of divorce can also have a higher chance of abusing substances and other high-risk behavior.
While divorce will have an impact on children, parents can help their children through the process so that the effects do not continue to influence their life into adulthood. Making decisions based on their children’s best interests, offering the children support and guidance through the process and ensuring that the children can continue to develop healthily can help children overcome the effects of divorce.