Graduations are new beginnings and logically, a final chapter. Many parents will face the emotional roller coaster of ‘empty nest’ syndrome.

Empty nest syndrome isn't a clinical diagnosis. Instead, empty nest syndrome is a phenomenon in which parents experience feelings of sadness and loss when a child leaves home.

Research suggested that parents dealing with empty nest syndrome experienced a profound sense of loss that might make them vulnerable to depression, alcoholism, identity crisis and marital conflicts. But there are also bright sides. Recent studies suggest that an empty nest might reduce work and family conflicts and can provide parents with many other benefits. When adult children leave home, parents have a new opportunity to reconnect with each other, improve the quality of their marriage and rekindle interests for which they previously might not have had time.

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• Emotional Health