title: Intergenerational relationships in young adulthood and their life course, mental health, and personality correlates.
abstract: To evaluate effects of life-course events and experiences of young adults, as well as personality and mental-health history on intergenerational relationships in young adulthood, the authors examined dyadic relationship data drawn from a sample of more than 900 New Zealand 26-year-olds and their mothers and fathers. Results indicated that intergenerational relations were more positive when young adults were childless, not unemployed, married, and living away from home, but these factors did not interact with family relationship history in predicting relationship outcomes. Intergenerational relationships were less positive when children scored low on positive emotionality and constraint and high on negative emotionality and mental disorders, though these attributes did not account for the effect of life-course factors. Results are discussed in terms of the openness of the parent-child relationship in adulthood to further development.
authors.affiliation: Birkbeck University of London, Families and Social Issues, London, United Kingdom. j.belsky@bbk.ac.uk
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belsky
authors.forename: Sara R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Jaffee
authors.forename: Avshalom
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caspi
authors.forename: Terrie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moffitt
authors.forename: Phil A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009520:New Zealand; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010553:Personality Development; D012944:Social Support