THE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT OF CHILDREN WITH DIVORCED PARENTS AND THEIR EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES

Objectives. This study presents the child’s emotional disturbances as consequences of the parents’ divorce. The child’s reactions to the parents’ divorce differ depending on a number of factors such as the child’s age stage, his personal characteristics, the existence of parental conflict, and the support network. Material and methods. The study was conducted by analyzing the literature published between 1985 and 2023. The search was conducted in Romanian and English in 18 international publications using the following key phrases and terms, separately or in combination: divorce, children’s mental disorders, parental conflict, anxiety, depression, stress, emotionality, and preadolescents. These were used to investigate the link between parental conflict in divorce and emotional consequences for the child. Results. In research on the psychological impact of divorce on a child, a series of disorders associated with a poorly managed family separation have been highlighted. Anxiety disorders are very common following divorce and are usually associated with depressive disorders, the symptoms of which vary in severity. The risk of post-traumatic or acute stress disorder is increased in children who have been exposed to a conflict situation between their parents or who have been involved in such a situation themselves, and it can manifest itself more severely if the feeling of guilt arises, a feeling often found in children whose parents have divorced, which intensifies the stress disorder. In cases where the child is forced to manage the distress resulting from parental conflict, the child may develop a range of problems, such as attachment disorder, adjustment disorder, or behavioral disorders. Conclusions. The negative effects of misunderstandings between divorcing parents have a major impact on a child’s emotional development. Keywords: emotional disturbances, divorce, children’s mental disorders, parental conflict, family life.