Stress in Parents and Late Elementary Age Children in Divorced and Intact Families and Child Adjustment

The cumulative effect of stressful life events on 40 children in the 4th to 6th grades who were in matched pairs from intact and divorced families were investigated. Children's adjustment was assessed by parent report, teacher report and fantasy material from an abbreviated Thematic Apperception Test. In comparison to children from intact families, children of divorce were rates as less well adjusted by parents and teachers (as expected), and they had a greater number of rejection themes in fantasy. There was no interaction between stress levels and marital status in predicting child adjustment. Higher parental stress was related to parent ratings of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in the child, and to teacher rated externalizing symptoms in the child. Higher numbers of stressful life events that were primarily child oriented were related to higher teacher ratins of anxiety, social withdrawal and internalizing symptoms. Thus, the source of stress leads to different types of maladjustment.