Adults who were children when their parents were divorced, showed lower levels of oxytocin — the ‘love hormone‘ — than those whose parents remained married, says a study conducted by Baylor University, USA and published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology (December). Oxytocin is a hormone released by the brain during bonding experiences such as hugging, kissing, sexual interaction or nursing an infant.
“We found that oxytocin was substantially lower in people who experienced parental divorce compared to those who did not and correlated with responses on several measures of attachment. These results suggest that oxytocin levels are adversely affected by parental divorce and may be related to other effects that have been documented in people who experience parental divorce,” says Maria Boccia, professor of child and family studies at Baylor University.
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