This paper uses data from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project to examine differences in outcomes for children from divorced compared with intact families of origin.

The data cover a broad range of adult outcomes relating to family, social and psychological factors and responses to 17 items on childhood family adversity factors experienced up to age 16 years. The results reinforce the pattern of earlier Australian and international research that children from divorced families experience long-term disadvantage by comparison with their peers from intact families. There are particularly strong associations with early transitions to adult roles.

Authors: Bryan Rodgers, Patricia Gray, Tanya Davidson and Peter Butterworth.