The Impact Of Divorce On Adolescent

The Impact Of Divorce On Adolescent

Nowadays, divorce is a frequent occurrence in households. Many kids grow up in divorced or otherwise estranged families. Teenagers may have a variety of difficulties as their families adjust to a new routine, in addition to possible mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and an increase in disruptive conduct. The risk factors for divorce and the best ways to assist people in need must be understood by mental health practitioners. Teenagers can learn more about this while attempting to find new coping mechanisms, but it’s crucial that adults teach them new abilities.

Psychological Change

Teenagers, according to Erik Erikson, experience identity and role confusion (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2016). Adolescents explore their personal values, beliefs, and aspirations in this stage as they look for a sense of self and personal identity. Teenagers are developing their independence and starting to place more significance on their ties with their friends than with their families. According to G. Stanley Hall, who popularized the term “storm and stress,” teenagers can rebel and show resistance to their families. According to Hall, storm and stress, parent-child conflict, mood disruption, and dangerous conduct fall under three groups. Adolescents often rebel against authority people in order to acquire more independence and autonomy, which leads to conflict with their parents. Second, mood disruption can be brought on by adolescent psychological stress and hormonal changes, which can result in unpredictable mood swings. Last but not least, risk-taking behavior increases during adolescence as a result of a neurobiological desire for stimulation and emotional immaturity (G. Stanley Hall: Storm & Stress in Adolescence, 2016). According to research, the opposite is actually true when it comes to children. Each adolescent is unique, and they all respond to situations differently.

Although adolescents go through several changes throughout this stage, their moods are one of the more noticeable ones. While their bodies are undergoing numerous physical changes, their emotional spectrum is wide and unstable (AACAP, 2015). With all these changes, worry, anxiety, bewilderment, and other negative emotions may arise. The pre-frontal cortex, which is connected to personality expression, decision-making, and social conduct, grows during the period of brain development that occurs in adolescence. An adolescent’s ability to grow and function can be negatively impacted by the stress that divorce itself can cause. As was already mentioned, adolescents struggle more than adults to control their emotions. High levels of stress and a lack of coping mechanisms increase the likelihood that stress and mental health issues like depression and anxiety may develop.

Support

Support is required from both parties because divorce affects both the parents’ teenagers as well as the parents themselves. One of the hardest transitions in life is divorce. Specialists will offer the family helpful counsel, direction, and support during the transition. Pre-divorce counseling and post-divorce counseling are the two common phases. Pre-divorce counseling involves getting involved before the divorce while assisting both parties with efficient communication and assisting the parents in explaining the process to the kids (VanLuven, 2017). After a divorce, one must learn coping mechanisms for navigating the stages of grief and loss as well as establish a new normal for oneself and one’s children (VanLuven, 2017). In conclusion, a counselor can provide a comfortable and safe environment for both the parents and their children while helping everyone better understand the stages of the process, teach coping skills for dealing with the emotional pain, and help better understand why the relationship didn’t work and how to prevent it for the potential next.

Wellness, Development, and Resilience

According to research, of all the elements that increase resilience, excellent parenting plays the most role. The element that has the most impact on healthy development is the presence of a supportive, reliable, and protective primary caregiver—especially when the underlying stress mechanisms are activated (Weir, 2017). There are various strategies to develop resilience, including evidence-based therapies and parenting support programs, according to Suniya Luthar and Nancy Eisenberg. These initiatives aim to promote parental social support and improve the bond and interactions between parents and children, which will enhance the well-being of the latter (Weir, 2017). Parents were assisted in acquiring techniques to become more uplifting and productive parents through a second session. Last but not least, children of mothers who participated in a program for mothers that encouraged their responsiveness to their kids had fewer behavioral and socioemotional issues (Weir, 2017). According to research, having access to these programs could significantly improve the well-being of many kids who experience stress and adversity throughout their formative years.

Behavior

According to research, teenagers from divorced households are more likely to experience parental conflict, mental health issues, and behavioral issues (Amato, 2001). During and after a divorce, adolescents may experience a range of sentiments and emotions, including loss, remorse, abandonment, despair, and fury. All of these feelings have an impact on the adolescent’s present and future. After a divorce, anger is common. However, it may manifest differently in kids and last longer in some cases. When a family’s child starts acting out, we as professionals need to step in and support the parents. These problems can be addressed by a counselor using cognitive behavioral therapy. This will make it easier to concentrate on the present problem and its solutions rather than the past. Identifying the causes and effects of aggressive behavior, learning techniques for recognizing and controlling anger expression, problem-solving and cognitive restructuring techniques, and modeling and practicing socially appropriate behaviors that can replace angry and aggressive reactions are common cognitive-behavioral techniques (Sukhodolsky et al., 2016).

Conclusion

Divorce has spread over the world and now affects more people than just the parents. Teenagers experience emotional, mental, social, and behavioral effects. With divorce rates rising, it is essential for counselors to be aware of the dangers they may encounter as well as to become knowledgeable about tactics and coping mechanisms so they may give families strategies for overcoming and coping with the challenging transition they are undergoing.

References

Amato, P. (2001). Children of divorce in the 1990s: An update of the Amato and Keith (1991) meta-analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 355–370. doi: 10.1037/0893- 3200.15.3.355

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2015). Normal adolescent development. Retrieved from: https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFFGuide/Nor mal-Adolescent-Development-Part-I-057.aspx

Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2016). Human development: A life-span view (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. ISBN-13: 978130511664

Sukhodolsky, D. G., Smith, S. D., McCauley, S. A., Ibrahim, K., & Piasecka, J. B. (2016). Behavioral Interventions for Anger, Irritability, and Aggression in Children and Adolescents. Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology, 26(1), 58– 64. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2015.0120

VanLuven, J. W. (2017, February 28). The Importance of Professional Counseling Pre- and Post-Divorce. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from https://wcpastl.com/importance- professional-counseling-pre-post-divorce/#:~:text=A divorce counselor can:&text=Teach you the necessary coping, and prevent future relationship problems

Weir, K. (2017, September). Maximizing Children’s Resilience. Retrieved September 4, 2020, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2017/09/cover-resilience

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The impact of divorce is mediated by many factors. Using information from the textbook and scholarly journal articles, discuss this issue by addressing the following questions:

1. How is the experience of divorce related to the child’s age at the time of the divorce?
2. What about the age of the parents?
3. How are the effects of divorce the same and different for male versus female children and parents?
4. How does culture come into play? What about historical factors (e.g., the effects of divorce now versus 10 years ago versus 30 years ago)?

Complete the following readings from the textbook Life-span Human Development:

• Chapter 14: The Family

In addition, refer to the following website: Gottman Institute Research-based approach to relationships