Estrangement between older parents and adult children: Associations with mental health

Abstract

Parent-child relationships are among the most important social connections throughout life. Estrangement from one or more children has been shown to evoke feelings of sorrow for parents as they move closer to the end of life. Yet family estrangement in older age has not garnered much attention in the scientific literature, and associations with mental health remain unresolved. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between mental health and estrangement from adult children for older parents on dimensions of well-being, sense of purpose, depression, and loneliness. Survey data were collected from older parents (aged 75+) with estrangement to at least one child ( n = 75) and a corresponding comparison group of older parents ( n = 196). Data included measurements of well-being (WHO-5), sense of purpose (PIL-SF), depressive symptoms (CMDQ), and loneliness (UCLA-3). Statistical analyses using multiple linear regression were conducted for each measurement to test for associations with intergenerational estrangement. Intergenerational estrangement was found to be statistically significantly associated with poorer mental health scores on all four measurements. The study is the first to document multiple, specific, negative psychological and social associations with intergenerational estrangement for older parents. The study argues for the potential benefits of family work in efforts to promote mental health in older age.