Men who fail to match or exceed their parents’ educational achievements suffer levels of psychological distress similar to the impact of divorce, while women are largely unaffected, according to new research. Researchers at the University of Oxford analysed data from more than 50,000 people across the UK and 27 other mainly European countries to compare their psychological states with their educational achievements. They found that for men, exceeding their parents’ educational achievements have a positive effect resulting in reduced psychological distress, while falling short appears to have a damaging effect on men’s wellbeing with an increase in psychological distress. The research, launched on Tuesday at the British Sociological Association’s annual conference at Northumbria University, contradicts earlier studies that found improving on parental academic achievements appeared to have little positive impact on psychological state. The study found that the consequences of doing