EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A growing trend of adult children cutting off parents sparks a fierce debate over whether modern mental health therapy inadvertently fuels family estrangements.
Amid a reported surge in parent-child estrangements, some have questioned whether therapy could play a role in the family fracture trend.
Nearly four in 10 Americans are currently estranged from at least one close family member, according to a 2025 YouGov poll of 4,395 U.S. adults, including 24% from a sibling, 16% from a parent and 10% from a child.