Sorrow and Ambivalence of Intergenerational Estrangement in Later Life
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21391826 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andreas Nikolajsen (0009-0005-7081-0169, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Aarhus University and EGV Foundation Aarhus Denmark), Lars Larsen (0000-0003-1603-0311, Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark), Bjørn E Holstein (0000-0002-4348-280X, National Institute of Public Health University of Southern Denmark Copenhagen Denmark), Bjørn E Holstien (University of Southern Denmark, corresponding author), Christine E Swane (EGV Foundation Copenhagen Denmark) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 697-707 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Scandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/sjop.70058 |
| PMID | 41432152 |
| OpenAlex | W7116979375 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
Estrangement from adult children can be a painful experience. However, it remains to be investigated how older parents relate to estrangement and what factors predict these sentiments. This article investigated older parents' sentiments toward estrangement on dimensions of sorrow, ambivalence, and relief. Parent demographics and estrangement characteristics duration, initiative, and estrangement proportions were examined as predictors of parent sentiments. The study utilized cross‐sectional data from 75 older estranged parents aged 75+ ( m = 82). Descriptive statistics were used to determine the proportions of parent sentiments, demographics, and estrangement characteristics. Multiple logistic regression tested the predictive capacity of demographics and estrangement characteristics. The analysis found that sorrow and ambivalence both constituted parent sentiments, but not relief. More women than men expressed sorrow, while more men than women expressed ambivalence. Estrangement from all children was associated with ambivalence. Results support a theoretical emphasis on ambivalence as a framework for the understanding of estrangement and have implications for interventions aimed at reconciliation
Ambivalence · Demographics · Descriptive statistics · Logistic regression · Psychological intervention · Sorrow · Aging and Gerontology Research · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
Types of Conflicts and Tensions Between Older Parents and Adult Children
Family Estrangement
Adult children's estrangement from parents in Germany
How They Died, Time since Loss, and Bereavement Outcomes
Family marginalization, alienation, and estrangement
Giving Voice to the Silence of Family Estrangement
Making Meaning of the Parent–Child Relationship
Adult Children's Problems and Successes
Ambivalent Relationship Qualities Between Adults and Their Parents
The Gendered Experience of Family Estrangement in Later Life
Disconnection and Decision-making
Differences over time in older people's relationships with children and siblings
Utilizing Participants' Strengths to Reduce Risk of Harm in a Study of Family Estrangement
Estrangement between older parents and adult children
Intergenerational Ambivalence
Kinkeeping and Distress
Intergenerational Solidarity in Aging Families
A Critical Look at Family Care
Do Positive Feelings Hurt? Disaggregating Positive and Negative Components of Intergenerational Ambivalence
Solidarity, Conflict, and Ambivalence
Intergenerational Solidarity and the Structure of Adult Child-Parent Relationships in American Families
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |