Biomaterial Database

Helping children and families deal with divorce and separation. 2002

George J Cohen, and

More than 1 million children each year experience their parents' divorce. For these children and their parents, this process can be emotionally traumatic from the beginning of parental disagreement and rancor, through the divorce, and often for many years thereafter. Pediatricians are encouraged to be aware of behavioral changes in their patients that might be signals of family dysfunction so they can help parents and children understand and deal more positively with the issue. Age-appropriate explanation and counseling is important so children realize that they are not the cause of, and cannot be the cure for, the divorce. Pediatricians can offer families guidance in dealing with their children through the troubled time as well as appropriate lists of reading material and, if indicated, can refer them to professionals with expertise in the emotional, social, and legal aspects of divorce and its aftermath.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008426	Maternal Deprivation	Prolonged separation of the offspring from the mother.	Deprivation, Maternal,Deprivations, Maternal,Maternal Deprivations
D010287	Parent-Child Relations	The interactions between parent and child.	Parent-Offspring Interaction,Parent Child Relationship,Parent-Child Relationship,Interaction, Parent-Offspring,Parent Child Relations,Parent Child Relationships,Parent Offspring Interaction,Parent-Child Relation,Parent-Child Relationships,Parent-Offspring Interactions,Relation, Parent-Child,Relationship, Parent Child,Relationship, Parent-Child
D010333	Paternal Deprivation	Prolonged separation of the offspring from the father.	Deprivation, Paternal,Deprivations, Paternal,Paternal Deprivations
D010372	Pediatrics	A medical specialty concerned with maintaining health and providing medical care to children from birth to adolescence.
D010819	Physician's Role	The expected function of a member of the medical profession.	Physicians' Role,Physician Role,Physician's Roles,Physicians Role,Physicians' Roles,Role, Physician's,Role, Physicians',Roles, Physician's,Roles, Physicians'
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002666	Psychology, Child	Branch of psychology involving the study of normal and abnormal behavior of children.	Child Psychology,Infant Psychology,Pediatric Psychology,Psychology, Infant,Psychology, Pediatric
D004243	Divorce	Legal dissolution of an officially recognized marriage relationship.	Divorced,Separated,Separation,Divorces,Separations
D005192	Family Health	The health status of the family as a unit including the impact of the health of one member of the family on the family as a unit and on individual family members; also, the impact of family organization or disorganization on the health status of its members.	Health, Family