Depression and Anxiety in People with Divorced Parents In recent years, divorce rates have seen a steady upward trend (Reiter, Hjorleifsson, Breidablik, & Meland, 2013). It is a fact that children who have divorced parents typically face more obstacles in numerous aspects of life than children who have married parents. Children who experience divorce are up to 300% more likely to be affected by mental well-being problems than their peers without an episode of divorce in their parental structure (Shifflett & Cummings, 1999). These problems can arise due to the various conflicts that can come into play during the divorce process, or even due to the simple experience of the parents' divorce for the child. The child who has experienced parental divorce may show signs of decreased academic performance, decline in the quality of family and peer relationships, behavioral problems, substance abuse, as well as anxiety and depression (Neher & Short, 1998; Uphold-Carrier & Utz, 2012). Long-term depression and anxiety in children of divorce. According to Uphold-Carrier and Utz (2012), the general experience that can be experienced during a divorce makes children marginally more susceptible to long-term depression. Regardless of where a child is in their life, they are more at risk for depression and anxiety than their peers with married parents. Children in the adolescent stage of life are continually adjusting to things like school and social life, and even children who come from divorced families are forced to adjust to this added component. Poor overall adjustment to divorce can be confirmed by research data conducted on children with divorced parents compared to those with parents still present... half of the paper... 12). Parental divorce among young and adult children: A long-term quantitative analysis of mental health and family togetherness. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 53, 247-266. Vanassche, S., Sodermans, A. K., Matthijs, K., & Swicegood, G. (2013). Commuting between two households: Association between joint physical custody and adolescent well-being after divorce. Journal of Family Studies, 19, 139-158.Vousoura, E., Verdeli, H., Warner, V., Wickramaratne, P., & Baily, C. (2012). Parental divorce, familial risk of depression, and psychopathology in offspring: A three-generation study. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 21, 718. Zill, N., Morrison, D. R., & Coiro, M. J. (1993). Long-term effects of parental divorce on parent-child relationships, adjustment, and outcomes in young adulthood. Journal of Family Psychology, 7, 91-103.