title: Stepfamily Relationship Quality and Children's Internalizing and Externalizing Problems.
abstract: The stepfamily literature is replete with between-group analyses by which youth residing in stepfamilies are compared to youth in other family structures across indicators of adjustment and well-being. Few longitudinal studies examine variation in stepfamily functioning to identify factors that promote the positive adjustment of stepchildren over time. Using a longitudinal sample of 191 stepchildren (56% female, mean age = 11.3 years), the current study examines the association between the relationship quality of three central stepfamily dyads (stepparent-child, parent-child, and stepcouple) and children's internalizing and externalizing problems concurrently and over time. Results from path analyses indicate that higher levels of parent-child affective quality are associated with lower levels of children's concurrent internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 1. Higher levels of stepparent-child affective quality are associated with decreases in children's internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 2 (6 months beyond baseline), even after controlling for children's internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 1 and other covariates. The stepcouple relationship was not directly linked to youth outcomes. Our findings provide implications for future research and practice.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lippold
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mills-Koonce
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fosco
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D012917:Social Adjustment
keywords: Child Adjustment; Children; Family Processes; Family Relationships; Stepfamily; adaptación de los niños; familia reconstituida; niños; procesos familiares; relaciones familiares; 儿童; 儿童适应; 家庭关系; 家庭过程; 继亲