#1081 - Erica Komisar - The Permanent Impact of Divorce on Children

Erica Komisar, a psychoanalyst, explores the impact of divorce and attachment security on children's mental health. She argues that today's societal norms, including the push for gender equality and career-focused lifestyles, often undermine children's emotional needs, especially during the critical first three years. Komisar highlights the importance of a primary attachment figure, typically the mother, for emotional regulation and brain development, advocating against 50/50 custody arrangements for very young children. She suggests that constant parental conflict and early separation can lead to long-term issues like anxiety and depression, and advises parents to prioritize their children's developmental stages when making decisions about divorce, with adolescence being a particularly vulnerable time. Komisar also criticizes the lack of paid maternity leave in the US, linking it to increased stress and postpartum depression in mothers.