The effects of parental divorce and parental conflict on children: an overview

Pediatricians and other primary care professionals are frequently called upon to offer their advice concerning the psychosocial problems that families confront. Currently, one area that appears to be of great concern to parents is the effect that parental divorce has on children. However, giving advice in this area is difficult as parental divorce does not have the same effect on all children. Researchers are now beginning to identify and study numerous factors that appear to play a critical role in mediating child adjustment following parental divorce. Understanding these mediating factors will likely prove crucial when addressing questions pertaining to parental divorce. Several investigators believe that one of the most important of these mediating factors is parental conflict. This article reviews the research addressing the relationship between parental divorce, parental conflict, and child adjustment.