Teens Behavior & Emotions Effects of Divorce on Teens By Amy Morin, LCSW facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and host of the Mentally Strong People podcast. Learn about our editorial process Amy Morin, LCSW Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Aron Janssen, MD on June 29, 2020 linkedin Aron Janssen, MD is board certified in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry and is the vice chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at Northwestern University. Learn about our Review Board Aron Janssen, MD on June 29, 2020 Print Colin Hawkins / Cultura / Getty Images When parents divorce, it is difficult for the whole family. Children have to deal with an upheaval of their lives and get used to the new reality of their day-to-day living. If you're going through a divorce, it's important to know what type of things you may see from your teen. Teen Problems After Divorce Roughly 20% to 25% of teens of divorce experience problems stemming from the changes within the family. Here is how your divorce may affect your teens: Academic problems, like poor gradesTrouble sleepingIncreased stressSadness or anger at one parent or bothDefiance and non-complianceSubstance abuseDepressionSuicidal ideation and attemptsBehavior problems at schoolTrouble getting along with siblings, peers, and parentsInvolved in early sexual activityDifficulty forming intimate relationships. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911. How Will Your Teen React to Divorce The biggest predictor of how teens will do when their parents divorce, is how their parents get along. Work with your partner on developing a co-parenting strategy. Talk to your teen together and encourage your teen to share worries, fears, and frustrations. If you aren't certain of the way things will unfold, admit the uncertainty to your teen. If you're putting a house up for sale, or you aren't sure where you are going to move, acknowledge how difficult such uncertainty can be. Be prepared for increased emotional and behavioral turmoil. Set firm limits and follow through with consequences when necessary. Make it clear to your teen that you're still going to do what it takes to keep her safe and help her make healthy choices. Be Present as Your Teen Deals with the Divorce Although divorce will be tough for you and everyone else in the family, do your best to be present with your teen. That means talking, monitoring, and showing genuine interest in your teen's activities. It's important for your teen to feel close to you as you go through a rough time. Even if the divorce is amicable, your teen will grieve the loss of your family life together. Expect to see your teen experience a wide variety of emotions, ranging from anger to sadness. Let her know that it's healthy to experience those feelings, but make it clear that it's important to express those feelings in a healthy manner. If your teen exhibits behavior problems or she's experiencing changes to her mood, seek professional help. She may benefit from talking to a mental health professional about the changes she's enduring. Sometimes, just a few therapy sessions can be instrumental in helping a teen sort out her feelings over a big issue like divorce. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. D'Onofrio B, Emery R. Parental divorce or separation and children's mental health. World Psychiatry. 2019;18(1):100–101. doi:10.1002/wps.20590 Additional Reading Patten, Peggy. (1999). Divorce and Children Part I: An Interview with Robert Hughes, Jr., Ph.D. ParentNews.