There are thousands of studies done per year, and the results, statistics and findings can become mind-boggling.

But there’s one recent Iowa State study, which was conducted by ISU’s Department of Sociology and Institute for Social and Behavioral Research, that was published in the November edition of the Journal of Marriage and the Family that’s worth taking a look at.

The study, titled “Explaining the Higher Incidence of Adjustment Problems Among Children of Divorce Compared to Those in Intact Families,” examines major factors associated with divorce and child development problems.

While its title may be a mouthful, it has uncovered some interesting facts about the effects of divorce.

Divorce does not have the devastating, lasting effects on children that the stereotype would have us believe.

The study doesn’t herald divorce; the negative repercussions still exist.

According to the study, girls are more likely to experience depression as a result of the divorce, while boys may become depressed or increase tendencies toward conduct problems if their fathers are absent. All too often, this is the case.

The point the study makes is this: Divorce can be extremely hard on children, but by the time children reach adulthood, they have discovered their own way of dealing with the situation, and don’t perpetually live their lives in the shadow of their parents’ breakup.

Although the study may not seem too ground-breaking, it revisits a topic that has almost become forgotten because it happens so often.

Because divorce is so common, it isn’t discussed and explored as much as it should be.

The ironic thing is although divorce affects a lot of families, the stigma still exists.

For many kids, there’s a lot of pain that comes with divorce.

They don’t see one parent as much as they should, and there’s the feeling that they were somehow to blame for the divorce, even though the old adage is true: Divorce is never a kid’s fault.

It is not inconceivable for a divorce to be the event that saves a family.

Sometimes, people just grow apart.

Sometimes, people just don’t belong together and discover that after they’ve already had their families.

The study shows that people can adjust after divorce. A lot of that adjustment depends on how well parents behave for the sake of the children.

Divorce is a fact of life. It’s not a dirty little secret or even an inevitable tragedy that rips families apart.

It is, however, a subject that needs to be talked about with candor and examined in a new light.