Coparenting after marital dissolution and children's mental health: a systematic review
- PMID: 27215765
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jped.2015.09.011
Coparenting after marital dissolution and children's mental health: a systematic review
Abstract
Objective: Research has shown that coparenting is a vital family mechanism in predicting mental health in children and adolescents. Considering the increasing prevalence of marital dissolution in Western societies, the objective of this systematic review was to summarize the key results of empirical studies that tested the association between mental health of children and coparenting after marital dissolution.
Data source: The studies were obtained from three databases (PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Knowledge), published between January 2000 and October 2014. The titles, abstracts, and key words of the generated citations were independently reviewed by two investigators to consensually select the articles that met the inclusion criteria. Articles that used psychometrically valid tools to measure at least one mental health indicator and at least one dimension of coparenting in samples with divorced parents were included in the review.
Data synthesis: Of the 933 screened articles, 11 met the inclusion criteria. Significant positive associations were found between coparental conflict and behavioral problems and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatization. Significant positive associations were also found between other specific dimensions of coparenting (coparental support, cooperation, and agreement), overall mental health, self-esteem, and academic performance.
Conclusions: The integrated analysis of these studies suggests that coparenting is a key mechanism within the family system for the prediction of child mental health after marital dissolution, and thus, it is recommended that pediatricians, psychologists, and other health professionals consider coparenting as a psychosocial variable for children's mental health assessment and diagnosis.
Keywords: Children; Coparentalidade; Coparenting; Crianças; Dissolução conjugal; Divorce; Divórcio; Marital dissolution; Mental health; Parentalidade; Parenting; Saúde mental.
Copyright © 2016 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Typologies of Post-divorce Coparenting and Parental Well-Being, Parenting Quality and Children's Psychological Adjustment.Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2016 Oct;47(5):716-28. doi: 10.1007/s10578-015-0604-5. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2016. PMID: 26518292
-
Parenting behaviors, marital discord and the mental health of young females: a cross-sectional study from Saudi Arabia.Ann Saudi Med. 2020 Jan-Feb;40(1):49-54. doi: 10.5144/0256-4947.2020.49. Epub 2020 Feb 6. Ann Saudi Med. 2020. PMID: 32026708 Free PMC article.
-
Understanding postdivorce coparenting families: integrative literature review.J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2011 Jul;23(7):382-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7599.2011.00622.x. Epub 2011 Jun 14. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2011. PMID: 21696488 Review.
-
A harsh parenting team? Maternal reports of coparenting and coercive parenting interact in association with children's disruptive behaviour.J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2017 May;58(5):603-611. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12665. Epub 2016 Dec 5. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2017. PMID: 27917470
-
Marital conflict, divorce, and children's adjustment.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 1998 Apr;7(2):259-71, v-vi. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 1998. PMID: 9894063 Review.
Cited by 3 articles
-
Importance of living arrangements and coparenting quality for young children's mental health after parental divorce: a cross-sectional parental survey.BMJ Paediatr Open. 2021 May 26;5(1):e000657. doi: 10.1136/bmjpo-2020-000657. eCollection 2021. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2021. PMID: 34124394 Free PMC article.
-
Medical Neglect Allegations in the Context of Conflicted Divorce/Separation Child Custody: What Should the Health Care Provider Do?J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2020 Apr 2;13(3):285-291. doi: 10.1007/s40653-020-00306-0. eCollection 2020 Sep. J Child Adolesc Trauma. 2020. PMID: 33088385 Free PMC article.
-
"We also communicate through a book in the diaper bag"-Separated parents´ ways to coparent and promote adaptation of their 1-4 year olds in equal joint physical custody.PLoS One. 2019 Apr 10;14(4):e0214913. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214913. eCollection 2019. PLoS One. 2019. PMID: 30970037 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous