PARENTAL DIVORCE AND DEPRESSION IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD - ADOLESCENTS CLOSENESS TO PARENTS AND SELF-ESTEEM AS MEDIATING FACTOR

The mediating factors between childhood experience of parental divorce and subsequent depression in young adulthood were assessed in a follo wup study of one Finnish urban age cohort from the age of 16 to 22 (n= 1656). Depression was found to be more common among the offspring of d ivorced families. Low self-esteem at age 16 was an indicator of vulner ability to depression in young adulthood irrespective of family backgr ound or gender. Among girls the long-term impact of divorce was mediat ed via low self-esteem and lack of closeness to father. When the relat ionship with the father was close, no excess risk of depression was fo und among girls from divorced families. Conversely, in boys no statist ical connection between low self-esteem or unsatisfactory relationship with parents and depression after parental divorce was found.