Study: Divorce and the mental health of children was announced in The Daily, published by Statistics Canada.
"Even before a marital breakup, young children of parents heading for divorce tend to develop mental health problems, according to a new study originating from the Research Data Centre program and published recently in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
The study found that children whose parents eventually divorce show higher levels of depression, as well as higher levels of anti-social behaviour, than children whose parents remain married.
Parental divorce is an increasingly common experience in childhood, with nearly one in two divorces in Canada involving dependent children.
Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth were used to track children aged four to seven who were living with both parents in 1994. The mental health characteristics of children whose parents remained married were compared to those whose parents had divorced by 1998."
More information about the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY), commonly referred to as "Kids" can be found on the Statistics Canada website. Data files are available to University of Winnipeg students and faculty through the Internet Data Library Service (select by name). For help obtaining any Statistics Canada information please contact Karen Hunt.
Posted by hunt-k at December 13, 2005 9:24 AM