title: Protecting children from the consequences of divorce: a longitudinal study of the effects of parenting on children's coping processes.
abstract: This study examines whether intervention-induced changes in mother-child relationship quality and discipline led to short-term (6 months) and long-term (6 years) changes in children's coping processes in a sample of 240 youth aged 9-12 years when assessed initially. Data were from a randomized, experimental trial of a parenting-focused preventive intervention designed to improve children's postdivorce adjustment. Three-wave prospective mediational analyses revealed that intervention-induced improvements in relationship quality led to increases in coping efficacy at 6 months and to increases in coping efficacy and active coping at 6 years. Tests of the mediated effects were significant for all 3 indirect paths. Results are discussed in terms of pathways to adaptive coping and implications for the implementation of preventive interventions targeting coping.
authors.affiliation: Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
authors.forename: Clorinda E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Vélez
authors.forename: Sharlene A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wolchik
authors.forename: Jenn-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Tein
authors.forename: Irwin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sandler
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002667:Child Reactive Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D002668:Child Rearing; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods; D015206:Southwestern United States