Parental divorce: Long-term effects on mental health, family relations andadult sexual behavior

Specific long term effects of parental divorce were examined in a sample of 179 Icelanders, 20 to 30 years of age. The participants answered the Borro mean Family Index, the Affect Balance Scale and a number of questions on se xual behavior and attitudes towards marriage and divorce. Results showed th at compared to adults whose parents remained married, those of divorced par ents reported more negative emotional experiences at the time of the study and had looser family ties. They also had greater number of short love affa irs, had their first love affair at a younger age, had a greater number of sexual partners, and were younger at the time of their first sexual interco urse than adults whose parents remained married.