Why does divorce run in families? The answer may be genetics, says a new study

Washington, October 5: Children of divorced parents are more likely to get divorced when compared to those who grew up in two-parent families, and genetic factors are the primary explanation, confirms a new study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and Lund University in Sweden.

It’s quite natural as children try to replicate their parents’ behavior. Half of your child’s behavior is the reflection of your character. The study's findings are notable because they diverge from the predominant narrative in divorce literature, which suggests that the offspring of divorced parents are more likely to get divorced themselves because they see their parents struggling to manage conflict or lacking the necessary commitment, and they grow up to internalize that behavior and replicate it in their own relationships.

The research’s author Kenneth S.Kendler, Professor of Psychiatry said,” I see this as a quite significant finding. Nearly all the prior literature emphasized that divorce was transmitted across generations psychologically. Our results contradict that, suggesting that genetic factors are more important.” By recognizing the role that genetics plays in the intergenerational transmission of divorce, therapists may be able to better identify more appropriate targets when helping distressed couples.

"At present, the bulk of evidence on why divorce runs in families points to the idea that growing up with divorced parents weakens your commitment to and the interpersonal skills needed for marriage," said Jessica Salvator, Assistant Professor of Psychology. "So, if a distressed couple shows up in a therapist's office and finds, as part of learning about the partners' family histories, that one partner comes from a divorced family, then the therapist may make boosting commitment or strengthening interpersonal skills a focus of their clinical efforts."

She further claims they have consistent evidence that genetic factors account for the intergenerational transmission of divorce. The study's findings suggest that it might be useful for therapists to target some of the more basic personality traits that previous research has suggested are genetically linked to divorce, such as high levels of negative emotionality and low levels of constraint, to mitigate their negative impact on close relationships.