The childhood experience of young adults who went through parental separation

Abstract

This study examines young adults’ experiences, in which they underwent parental separation during their childhood. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, this research reveals how participants experienced their parents’ separation and how this has left an impact on their attachment with their parents and also with other forms of relationships. This study will also examine participants’ adjustment after parental separation and their perceptions of parental conflict. Marital conflict is considered to have a direct effect upon children and adolescents’ emotional wellbeing. Moreover, marital conflict was found to have effect on the children’s perception of the parent-child relationship. In Malta, the traditional family context still prevails over the less traditional family behaviour. Therefore, this present study will also explore whether young adults who have experienced parental separation in their childhood, have substantial lower levels of psychological wellbeing compared to those whose family members all lived together. The findings suggest that initially it is common for children and adolescents to experience emotional distress and adjustment problems, but they also demonstrate a sense of resiliency throughout the adjustment process. Thus, parental separation does not necessarily imply a high risk of emotional suffering for children and adolescents.