The separation of the parents would impact the health of the children and cause in the long term smoking and depression. However, this family situation would affect young girls more than young boys, according to the results of‘a study published in the Review of Economics of the Household.
Researchers at the University of Illinois (United States) followed for thirteen years 90,000 American adolescents questioned about their health 4 times, the first time in 1996 and the last in 2009, when they were aged 27 at 32 years old. These young participants all lived with their mothers after a separation.
Being separated from your father harms the health of young girls
Chris Fraley of the University of Illinois had already published in 2013 a study which revealed that early divorces greatly harm the future relationships of children. With their parents on the one hand, and in particular with their father and during their romantic relationships. Researchers believe that this disorder mainly stems from the type of custody and that being separated from their father generates emotional disturbances and a lack of confidence in the couple.
This new study from researchers at the University of Illinois reveals that girls of separated parents who lived exclusively with their mothers were more likely to become depressed and that boys were less healthy than other children.
“We find that if the biological father was never present, the smoking, and the checkups were all worse,” says Andrea Beller. “And if the separation occurs in the first years of the life of girls (0 to 5 years), the presence or absence of other men significantly influences physical health.” Indeed, little girls are particularly vulnerable from 6 to 10 years old. During these four years, the absence of the father has negative long-term effects, leading to more smoking, health problems and depression in adulthood.
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