Children undergo extreme stress amid parents' divorce, even making them more susceptible to stroke when they turn adults, as per a new study.
Parents’ divorce is a big change in a child’s life. It can have long-lasting effects on children’s overall wellbeing. The parental separation is a life-altering event for the child, as the child finds themselves in toxic situations like seeing parents fight and argue constantly to being the subject of contention in custody battles.
But beyond psychological and emotional challenges, it can lead to health complications too. A study published in the journal PLOS One found that these children also tend to face a higher risk of stroke later in life.
Connection with stroke in adults
The study, led by Esme Fuller-Thomson from the University of Toronto, examined over 13,000 adults aged 65 and older. The results showed that those whose parents divorced before they turned 18 had a 60 percent higher chance of experiencing a stroke compared to those who grew up in intact families.
Furthermore, parental divorce as a risk factor is as significant as diabetes or being male. Study author Esme Fuller-Thomson said, “It is extremely concerning that older adults who grew up in divorced families had 60 percent higher odds of stroke, even after excluding those who had been physically or sexually abused as children. The magnitude of the association between parental divorce and stroke was comparable to well-established risk factors for stroke such as male gender and having diabetes.”
Possible causes
A divorce environment is very volatile, and this creates a lot of stress. The chronic stress from the disrupted family and soon-to-be separation is overwhelming. Stress affects the body's stress response system, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which plays a key role in regulating stress. A dysregulated HPA axis has been linked to a higher risk of stroke.
Furthermore, a child growing up in a divorced household may develop other health issues too like high blood pressure, and sleep problems; all of which can increase stroke risk.
Divorce is a turbulent phase and even after that, it is challenging. The study reveals that the connection between growing up in a divorced household and adult health is clear. Children need to be prioritised as well in a situation of divorce. Their wellbeing needs to be safeguarded to mitigate the long-term consequences of divorce trauma.
Source: Hindustan Times
Bd-pratidin English/Fariha Nowshin Chinika
