The role of constructiveness in interparental conflict for mothers’ perception of children’s health

Autor(en)
Martina Zemp, Marlene Jockers, Jutta Mata
Abstrakt

Objective To examine how constructiveness in interparental conflict affects mothers' perception of children's psychological and physical health and whether coparenting and positive parenting mediate these effects.

Background Children exposed to high levels of interparental conflict are at elevated risk of developing health problems. However, previous research suggests that constructive and destructive interparental conflict may affect children's health differently.

Method Mothers (n = 289) with at least one child aged 3.5 to 8 years completed an online survey about parenting, coparenting, interparental conflict, and different aspects of child health.

Results Results suggest that higher constructiveness in interparental conflict is related to fewer emotional problems, less pain, and fewer infectious diseases in children, independent of gender. The effects were fully mediated by coparenting.

Conclusion Constructive interparental conflict promotes children's physical and psychological health and coparenting emerged as an important mechanism for this link.

Implications Enhancement of constructive interparental conflict and coparenting are promising avenues to foster children's healthy development.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Klinische und Gesundheitspsychologie
Externe Organisation(en)
Universität Mannheim
Journal
Family Relations
Band
69
Seiten
683-697
Anzahl der Seiten
15
ISSN
0197-6664
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12449
Publikationsdatum
05-2020
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
501009 Kinder- und Jugendpsychologie
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Education, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Link zum Portal
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/229f4b61-0ba3-4aea-8a3d-2de4c0f81c47