3.2.1. Leaving the Home
depression, guilt, worry, depressed
SAID
The in-depth qualitative interviews with young adults revealed feelings of worry and guilt in response to moving away from the parental home with a depressed parent. One young man who joined the military said he felt he caused his mother to become depressed again by leaving and felt burdened by guilt. Another respondent reportedly increased her phone contact with her mother when she was away. A common theme among the young adults was feeling burdened by increased responsibilities in the home. A few said the depression made moving away from the parental home easier. The presence of siblings also had an effect on young adults’ feelings regarding leaving the home. Forty-one of the fifty families had siblings; half of these reported being emotionally close to their siblings, with their siblings providing a source of support. Older siblings reportedly worried about how their younger siblings would fare when left alone with the parents once they moved out or went away to college. 