Estrangement Between Siblings in Adulthood: A Qualitative Exploration

Relationships between siblings have been described as the longest lasting an individual can have, yet both and do become estranged from one another in adulthood. An online survey was disseminated to individuals who had sought support charity Stand Alone, which supports are experiencing family estrangement. Individuals full genetic sister and/or brother were asked describe relationship their own words. Open-text responses thematically analysed 291 respondents. Family systems being characterised by estrangements, alliances conflicts; there variation participant’s preferences regarding reconciliation; most respondents focused on describing sibling’s challenging or disappointing characteristics behaviour. The fact that challenges commonly held assumptions about relationships, confirming they not necessarily always life-long, significant supportive.