The Effects Of Family Separation On Mental Health

Family separation can have long-term effects on children, parents, and caregivers, even if the family is eventually reunited. For some, time does not appear to heal these negative effects of family separation on mental health. Understanding family separation trauma in the context of immigration law and ICE may be a step toward finding support and understanding after experiencing separation. Therapy, whether in person or online, can serve as a supportive resource.

Mental health effects of adverse childhood events

Research on the effects of family separation on mental health dates back to studies done during World War II. Over the years, studies have looked at the impact of parental separation in various circumstances, including children in foster care, children in Romanian orphanages, and children of incarcerated parents. This research and analysis found that family separation can cause far-reaching negative mental health effects into adulthood.

Functional impairment 

Childhood trauma can disrupt neurological development and negatively affect emotional, social, and cognitive functioning. Children who experience trauma may have sleeping difficulties and heightened fear responses. They may cry, cling to a trusted adult, or exhibit aggressive behavior. Regression is also common and can describe a phenomenon when children revert to an earlier stage of child development.

Traumatic stress 

From 2017 to 2018, the United States government separated more than 5,000 children from their parents through its immigration policies and placed them into the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services under Title 42 of the Public Health Services Act. Research by the group Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) studied the effects of this on the children separated from their parents and brought into the US.

PHR research found that the effects of these separations on thousands of children and their parents were consistent with trauma and traumatic stress. Symptoms were present during separation and after the families were reunited. These symptoms included feelings of confusion, frequent crying, recurring nightmares, severely depressed mood, loss of appetite, and overwhelming anxiety. Some individuals reported physical symptoms like shortness of breath and headaches, as well as mental and emotional despair, hopelessness, and despondency.

Immigration and family separation 

Research from the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants confirmed how harmful certain policies appeared to be for families and their mental health. Seventy-three mothers of separated children and 425 mothers who were detained with their children in detention centers were surveyed for this research, aimed at assessing the behaviors of children and determining the prevalence of trauma to educate people about the effects of these policies. The results included the following findings:  

• Compared to the baseline US child population, detained children had twice as many severe emotional or behavioral difficulties; separated children had three times as many.
• Compared to the baseline US child population, detained adolescents had PTSD at a 3.5 times higher rate.
• Separating children from parents caused trauma to the child, no matter how long the separation was. 

Another study analyzed clinical assessments for 31 individuals separated from their families. This review found that children were typically separated from their parents without an explanation of why, where their family members were being sent, and if or how they would be reunited. Other results of this study were as follows: 

• Of parents who experienced family separation, 88% showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The rest of the participants showed signs of trauma that did not reach the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
• All children in the study had symptoms of either generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, or PTSD. 
• Both parents and children continued to have significant psychological distress and functional impairment years after the study. 

Family separation can affect everyone in the family 

Research indicates that early and middle childhood tend to be critical periods of development for children and that they can be affected by family separation more profoundly in these age groups. Young or school-aged children may experience heightened fear responses, sleeping problems, or aggressive behavior and revert to earlier developmental stages behaviorally. 

Separation from parents can significantly impact adolescents, too. Stressors during this time can have lasting impacts, which can be cumulative. For teens who have faced previous challenges, family separation can lead to further negative consequences, some of which may not become evident until adulthood. 

Parents who were separated from their children at the border of the US and Mexico often displayed multiple symptoms of trauma. Common signs reported included fatigue, lethargy, poor concentration, bouts of anxiety, depression, panic attacks, racing heart rate, and vague physical symptoms. Some individuals reported having suicidal thoughts when separated from their children.

Long-term effects of family separation on immigrants and asylum seekers

In general, children depend on their primary caretakers to help them navigate challenges and stressful experiences. Being with their primary caretaker can significantly reduce stress responses, acting as a buffer to protect them from emotional and physical harm. Family separation can cause trauma by removing  the child’s buffer, leaving them to manage the trauma without their primary caretaker, which can have long-term effects on their mental health. If a child doesn’t understand what’s happening, they may dissociate or become frightened. 

Research has examined the long-term effects of children being separated from their families in this way. For example, immigrant children kept in shelters may be at increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Some researchers determined that the effect of family separation was “on par with beating and torture in terms of its relationship to mental health.”

These experiences may also create irreversible changes in the brain. The above studies show that those who spend their first year of life in an institution typically have less volume in the prefrontal cortex. These brain changes could lead to trouble with executive tasks, inhibition control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. 

Parental separation may also change how the body responds to stress in the long term. Stressors this extreme can significantly impact children's health, potentially leading to a higher risk of various physical concerns and mental health conditions like the following: 

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Obesity
• Lower IQ
• Cancer
• Stroke
• Heart and lung disease
• Impaired immune system function
• Decreased physical growth

How timing and uncertainty can increase stress

Families’ lives can change in seconds when undergoing forcible separation. When families are not given any verification about whether their separation will last days, months, or even years, their stress levels may increase considerably. Parents who are unable to ensure the safety of their children, respond to their needs, and otherwise act in their typical role as father, mother, or caregiver may experience severe emotional distress. Children may experience intense separation anxiety when held apart from other family members.

Not knowing if or when one will be reunited with their family can intensify the emotional responses that typically arise during separation, and individuals may not know how to proceed in these types of situations. The lack of justice following these experiences can also have lasting effects.

Development, learning, and relationships after separation

Family separation often impacts children’s academic achievement, development, and future relationships, whether the separation occurs due to entry into a different country, implementation of immigration laws, estrangement, divorce, or another reason. While many children may go on to attend university or otherwise show they are proceeding with their academic or professional lives, others may encounter various barriers. Seeking local resources or working with a therapist who can provide personalized guidance may be helpful. 

Support options 

Untreated trauma from family separation can have long-lasting physical and mental health effects on all separated family members, both children and adults. Recovery from trauma is possible, but it often benefits from strong family and social support, avoidance of retraumatization, and mental and behavioral health interventions. Choosing to enter treatment and check in with mental health is often beneficial.

If you are an adult who has experienced trauma and is interested in therapy, it can be difficult to find in-person support options that fit your schedule and budget. In these cases, an online therapy platform like BetterHelp may be more readily available. Online platforms can empower clients to work with a licensed mental health professional from the comfort of their home at a time that suits their schedule. In addition, clients can switch therapists until they find the right fit. 

In addition to being convenient and flexible, research shows that online therapy can effectively treat a variety of mental health conditions. For example, a 2024 study noted that online therapy, and online cognitive behavior methods in particular, could be an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.