Parents and Adolescents in Stepfamilies: Longitudinal Links to Physical Health, Psychological Distress, and Stress

Little research has explored the physical and mental health of adults and children living in stepfamilies in New Zealand. Internationally there exists mixed evidence of the relative disadvantage associated with stepfamilies compared to one parent families and other two parent families, and a particular focus on children to the exclusion of parents in these situations. The objective of this research was to assess the impact of living in a stepfamily on the physical health, stress, and psychological distress of adults and late adolescents in New Zealand using a large, representative, and longitudinal sample. Data came from the Survey of Families, Income, and Employment (SoFIE), a longitudinal survey of approximately 11,500 households run by Statistics New Zealand. Multilevel (mixed effects) modelling was used to assess the impact of family structure on physical and mental health over an eight year period. The results indicate that parents and late adolescents living in one parent families and stepfamilies report lower physical health and higher symptoms of stress and psychological distress compared to parents and late adolescents living in two parent (non-step) families. In terms of mental health, parents experienced the most stress and psychological distress when living in one parent families, although parents in stepfamilies also reported increased symptoms, while adolescents experienced the most stress and psychological distress when living in stepfamilies.