Outcomes associated with childhood parental divorce: An umbrella review of meta-analyses

Childhood parental divorce has been consistently associated with a host of negative outcomes across multiple domains, such as socioemotional, behavioural, academic, and physical health, which can persist into adulthood. Despite extensive research on childhood parental divorce, the current literature lacks a systematic, integrated synthesis that clarifies which child outcomes are most consistently associated with parental divorce, as well as the potential moderators influencing these associations. Therefore, we conducted an umbrella review of meta-analyses to bridge this gap by consolidating the existing research and providing an exhaustive overview. Systematic searches were conducted across various databases and following a two-stage screening procedure and quality assessment, left us with an eventual 17 meta-analyses for the final review. Outcomes from each meta-analysis were then categorized into symptom domains comprising externalising symptoms, internalising symptoms, achievement, interpersonal relationships, and physical health. Findings revealed a consistent negative pattern across all outcome domains, with the largest negative association observed for externalising symptoms ( Mdn d =-0.21), followed by internalising symptoms ( Mdn d =-0.18), achievement ( Mdn d =-0.16), interpersonal relationships ( Mdn d =-0.16), and the smallest noted for physical health outcomes ( Mdn d =-0.11). Subgroup analyses suggest that females (versus males) showed stronger negative associations with issues related to externalising behaviours, psychological adjustment, and academic achievement. These findings inform future research and intervention strategies aimed at supporting children’s adjustment in the context of parental divorce. • Parental divorce is consistently associated with negative outcomes across multiple domains. • Externalising symptoms show the strongest associations, while physical health shows the weakest. • Females show stronger negative associations in externalising behaviours, psychological adjustment, and academic achievement.