In the United States only 60% of children live with their married biological parents as of 2022 (Anderson, 2014; Hemez, 2024). There is evidence that experiencing a parental divorce may have negative effects on the child that last into adulthood (Wolchik et al. 2021). Across approximately 30 studies, adult children of divorce have generally more negative outcomes than adult children from intact families. The Amato (2014) study found that adult children of divorce tend to have a higher risk for lower income, less education, more non-marital birth rates, and poorer health. The goal of this review is to look at the literature regarding how experiencing different family structures such as single parenthood, divorce, step families, etc. might have lasting effects into young adulthood and how it affects the overall well-being as well as educational attainment.
