GREY DIVORCE: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OLDER COUPLES SPLIT
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15 March 2024
Messy divorces are like storms, leaving emotional wreckage in their wake, requiring careful navigation and healing for all involved
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But in cases of older couples, fathers are more likely to lose touch with their children, according to a study
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Splits like these are called 'grey divorce' when couples in long-term marriage end it after the age of 50
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The study, led by Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany, studied the impact this has on their children
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It analysed 9,000 people, focusing on the frequency of contact with their parents and emotional closeness
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They discovered the effects vary significantly in cases of grey divorce
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First, the study found that it leads to a decrease in the frequency of contact between adult children and their fathers
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On the other hand, there was an increase in the frequency of contact and in emotional closeness with mothers
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Researchers also found that consequences of divorce were generally more pronounced in father-daughter relationships
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The study has been published in 'The Journals of Gerontology: Series B'
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