Family estrangement is more common than people think, but research shows the effects on wellbeing are mixed
Estrangement is not binary but a continuum of reducing contact. Support plays an important role, whether or not people seek to reconcile
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The modern mind is a column where experts discuss mental health issues they are seeing in their work
Despite media stories occasionally highlighting high-profile family estrangements, in many cultures estrangement carries a stigma, a direct challenge to deeply held values about what family should be.
People estranged from families often feel shame, or a sense they have failed, and carry the distress silently, in private. However, research on estrangement suggests it’s far more common than most people think.
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Category: Mental Health