A balanced
father-child relationship correlates to your ability to form
and sustain intimate relationships in adulthood, according
to a study from the University of Haifa School of
Social Work. Researchers analyzed 231 men and women,
aged 22 to 32 years old, who had either lost their
fathers to death or divorce between the ages of 6 and 12, or
had lived with their married parents throughout their
childhood.
Results showed
that 82% of the children of married parents were involved
in an intimate relationship while only 62% of orphaned and
60% of those who lived through a divorce did. the
study also found that the greater the feeling of loss
toward father meant less likelihood of establishing an
intimate relationship as an adult.
"The results
showed that orphans and children of divorced parents
experienced different emotional connections with their
fathers," explained lead researcher Nurit
Nahmani in a statement. "The orphans tended to
idolize their fathers, while children of divorced parents
tended to feel frustration and anger towards their fathers.
"Forty-one
percent of the participants whose father was
permanently or partially absent reported a feeling of
loss, often accompanied by a fear of being abandoned a
second time and reported not being involved in a
relationship," she continued.
On a brighter
note, the study did find a potential for developing
intimate relationships exists even when a father was absent
during childhood. Orphans and children of divorced
parents who overcame their loss as they matured,
experienced a higher level of closeness and commitment
when they were in an intimate relationship. (The
Advocate)