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Psychological Phenomena

Empty Nest Syndrome

Developmental Phenomena

Empty nest syndrome is a feeling of grief and loneliness that parents may experience when their children leave the family home, whether to live independently or to pursue further education. It is not a clinical condition. Because a child's departure requires real adjustment to a parent's daily life and sense of purpose, the syndrome is frequently linked to depression and to a loss of purpose in the parent left behind, and it is reported most often among single parents and stay-at-home parents, whose daily routines were built most closely around their children's presence.

Facts
Core Claim
Empty nest syndrome is a transitional emotional experience characterized by feelings of grief, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and loss of purpose that parents may encounter when their children leave home. 1
First Described Year
1914 1
Classification
Type of Phenomenon
Emotional Phenomenon 1
Sources
1. Empty nest syndrome - Wikipedia
  • Intro, first sentence
    Empty nest syndrome is a transitional emotional experience characterized by feelings of grief, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and loss of purpose that parents may encounter when their children leave home
  • Term Origin section
    Dorothy Canfield coined "Empty Nest" terminology in her book (Mothers and Children, 1914)
  • lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
    Empty nest syndrome is a transitional emotional experience characterized by feelings of grief, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and loss of purpose that parents may encounter when their children leave home, such as to live on their own or to pursue a higher education.
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