Psychologist Cites 5 Drivers of US Family Estrangement as 38% Report a Rift

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 5

A 2025 YouGov survey found 38% of U.S. adults are estranged from at least one family member, a trend psychologist Richard L. Blake says is being driven by five recurring pressures.
Blake identified political and value clashes, social media, “therapy culture,” communication breakdowns and outside influences as the main triggers behind fractured family ties.
Research he cited linked value dissimilarity to estrangement in more than 2,000 mother-adult child relationships and found nearly 9,800 teens using social media over two hours daily had higher odds of poor parent relationships.
Blake argued estrangement is often wrongly framed as a mental-health solution, pointing to a 2024 German study that found estranged adults reported lower life satisfaction and more depressive symptoms.
He said conflicts can harden when families use moralized labels like “toxic” or “narcissist,” while partners and disputes over parenting styles can further widen the split.