Parents and Children Estranged in Adulthood — Lucy Blake

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Parents and Children Who Are Estranged in Adulthood: A Review and Discussion of the Literature

Lucy Blake — Journal of Family Theory & Review — 2017

This peer-reviewed review examines what research has found about estrangement between parents and adult children, including how estrangement is defined, how common it appears to be, why it happens, and the consequences for the people involved.

The review finds that estrangement can arise from a range of interconnected factors rather than a single cause. It also discusses consequences including loss, stigma and reduced psychological well-being for both parents and adult children.

Why we’ve included it:
This is a useful starting point for anyone wanting to understand the research evidence behind parent–adult child estrangement. Rather than focusing on one individual experience or theory, it reviews the existing academic literature and highlights both what researchers know and where evidence remains limited.

View the research record and accepted manuscript at Edge Hill University

View the published article at Wiley

Reference: Blake, L. (2017). Parents and Children Who Are Estranged in Adulthood: A Review and Discussion of the Literature. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 9(4), 521–536.

Inclusion in our library means we believe this item is relevant to understanding parent–adult child estrangement. It does not mean Estranged Parents endorses every interpretation or conclusion expressed.