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The effects of marital disharmony on prepubertal children

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Abstract

The study investigated the association between marital disharmony and childhood behavior problems in a sample of families drawn from a general population. Eighty-three families where the marital relationship had previously been rated as disharmonious were matched with an equivalent number of families where the marriage was rated harmonious. Mothers, fathers, and children were interviewed, using a semistructured interview format. Children living in disharmonious homes had significantly more problems than children from harmonious homes, and control for confounding variables, such as the mothers' mental health, did not alter this relationship. The main effects found were in antisocial symptomatology. Gender differences and differences according to the accounts of different respondents were found. One possible interpretation is that mothers perceived their sons as more affected by marital disharmony, while evidence from children suggested that boys and girls were equally affected.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK

    Jennifer M. Jenkins

  2. Department of Child Psychiatry, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, WC1N 1EH, London, England, UK

    Marjorie A. Smith

Authors
  1. Marjorie A. Smith
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  2. Jennifer M. Jenkins
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Additional information

This research was supported by grant G832147NA from the Medical Research Council, whose support is greatefully acknowledged. We would like to thank the families who consented to be interviewed for this research. We would like also to thank Bridget Crook and Jane Godfrey for their help in conducting interviews, and Philip Graham for advice and encouragement on this manuscript, and throughout the study.

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Smith, M.A., Jenkins, J.M. The effects of marital disharmony on prepubertal children. J Abnorm Child Psychol 19, 625–644 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00918903

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00918903

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