Psychosocial adjustment and physical health in children of divorce

Objective: To review the literature on the effects of parental divorce over the psychological maladjustment and physical health problems in children of divorced parents, thus contributing to the integration of existing scientific knowledge based on the biopsychosocial model of the impact of divorce on children’s physical health as proposed by Troxel and Matthews (2004). Sources: Review of the literature using MEDLINE and PsycInfo (1980-2007) databases, selecting the most representative articles on the subject. Special attention was paid to contributions by internationally renowned investigators on the subject. Summary of the findings: Divorce may be responsible for a decline of physical and psychological health in children. The developmental maladjustment of children is not triggered by divorce itself, but rather by other risk factors associated with it, such as interparental conflict, parental psychopathology, decline in socio-economic level, inconsistency in parenting styles, a parallel and conflicting co-parenting relationship between parents and low levels of social support. Such risk factors trigger maladjusted developmental pathways, marked by psychopathological symptoms, poor academic performance, worst levels of physical health, risk behavior, exacerbated psychophysiological responses to stress and weakening of the immune system. Conclusions: Clear links were observed between experiencing parental divorce and facing problems of physical and psychological maladjustment in children. Divorce is a stressor that should be considered by health professionals as potentially responsible for maladjusted neuropsychobiological responses and for decline in children’s physical health.

Post-divorce representations of marital negotiation during marriage predict parenting alliance in newly divorced parents

Literature demonstrates that marital and co-parenting subsystems are intercorrelated and have autonomous functions in the family system. This study explored representations of marital negotiation strategies for conflict resolution during marriage and parenting alliance relationship after divorce, using data from Portuguese newly divorced parents. In multiple regression analysis, representations of marital negotiation strategies for conflict resolution during marriage used by ex-spouses predict positive parenting alliance relationship after divorce. These results suggest that representations of pre-divorce marital relationship influence positively current interparental relationship regarding child rearing after marital dissolution. Implications for clinical interventions are also discussed.

Ajustamento da criança à separação ou divórcio dos pais

Objetivo: O presente artigo procura relacionar e analisar evidências empíricas e teóricas sobre o impacto e os fatores associados ao impacto da separação ou divórcio dos pais no ajustamento da criança. Método: Realizou-se uma revisão agregativa da literatura, recorrendo às palavras-chave “divorce adjustment”, “child divorce” e “divorce impact”, nas bases de dados JSTOR, PsycInfo, SciELO e Medline e em livros da especialidade. Resultados: Respostas adaptativas e desadaptativas da criança são descritas, assim como potenciais resultados positivos. São principalmente discutidos os fatores mediadores e moderadores frequentemente referenciados na literatura no impacto da separação ou divórcio dos pais no ajustamento da criança. Entre esses estão: características da criança, problemas financeiros, sintomatologia psicopatológica dos pais, qualidade das práticas parentais e conflito interparental. Conclusão: Com base nas evidências empíricas e perspectivando o divórcio como uma transição desenvolvimental, levantamos a hipótese de que os problemas de ajustamento apresentados pelas crianças com pais divorciados possam ser mais bem explicados por outros fatores do que pelo divórcio/separação per se. Finalmente assumimos uma inovação conceptual de que essa transição familiar pode significar uma oportunidade de crescimento e de promoção desenvolvimental.