ABSTRACT
The number of divorces is increasing gradually both in the developed and developing countries, with some variations. Incompatibility, intolerance, lack of adjustment capacity and mental health challenges are known to be some of the common factors behind parental separation for which the children become the worst victims of the situation, without any fault on their part. Children suffer from neglect, insecurity and an inferiority complex, and most of them withdraw from social interactions. This situation also affects their studies and career if social support and support from the extended family members is missing. In the developing countries, children suffer a lot, since support from significant others is also not available and these people hardly care about the mental health of those children. Rather, people of the larger society and extended family members look at these children differently and often hold them responsible for the situation. The broad objectives of this chapter are (1) to examine the impact of parental conflict and absence on the mental health of children; (2) to review the necessity of supporting relationships post-separation; (3) to see what types of relationships are available with the children post-separation; and finally (4) what positively influences the child’s well-being. The secondary data-based chapter will present responses to these objectives from the available evidence.
