Skip to main content
Log in

Stress, coping, and adjustment in mothers and young adolescents in single- and two-parent families

  • Innovative Programs
  • Published:
American Journal of Community Psychology

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Achenbach, T. M. & Edelbrock, C. (1983).Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist and Revised Child Behavior Profile. Burlington, University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Achenbach, T. M. & Edelbrock, C. (1987).Manual for the Youth Self-Report and Profile. Burlington: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allison, P. D., & Furstenberg, F. F. (1989). How marital dissolution affects children: Variations by age and sex.Developmental Psychology, 25, 540–549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alpert-Gillis, L. J., Pedro-Carroll, J. L., & Cowen, E. L. (1989). The Children of Divorce Intervention Program: Development, implementation, and evaluation of a program for young urban children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 583–589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkeson, B. M., Forehand, R. L., & Rickard, K. M. (1982). The effects of divorce on children. In B. B. Lahey & A. E. Kazdin (Eds.),Advances in clinical child psychology (Vol. 5, pp. 255–281). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bloom, B. L.. Hodges, W. F., Kern, M. B., & McFaddin, S. C. (1985). A preventive intervention program for the newly separated: Final report.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 55, 9–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camara, K. A., & Resnick, G. (1988). Interparental conflict and cooperation: Factors moderating children's post-divorce adjustment. In E. M. Hetherington & J. D. Araasteh (Eds.),Impact of divorce, single-parenting and step-parenting on children (pp. 169–195). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, L. H., Burt, C. E., & Bjork, J. P. (1987). Effects of life events experienced by young adolescents and their parents.Developmental Psychology, 23, 583–592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Davis, G. E., Forsythe, C. J., & Wagner, B. M. (1987). Assessment of major and daily life events during adolescence: The Adolescent Perceived Events Scale.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55, 534–541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Howell, D. C., Phares, V., Williams, R. A., & Giunta, C. T. (1989a). Risk factors for emotional/behavioral problems in young adolescents: A prospective analysis of adolescent and parental stress and symptoms.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 732–740.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Howell, D. C., Phares, V., Williams, R. A., & Ledoux, N. (1989b). Parent and child stress and symptoms: An integrative analysis.Developmental Psychology, 25, 550–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Malcarne, V. L., & Fondacaro, K. (1988). Coping with stressful events in older children and young adolescents.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 405–411.

    Google Scholar 

  • D'Ercole, A. (1988). Single mothers: Stress, coping, and social support.Journal of Community Psychology, 16, 41–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derogatis, L. R. (1983).SCL-90-R Administration, scoring, and procedures manual. Towson, MD: Clinical Psychometric Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, R. (1982). Interparental conflict and the children of discord and divorce.Psychological Bulletin, 92, 310–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enos, D. M., & Handal, P. J. (1986). The relation of parental marital status and perceived family conflict to adjustment in white adolescents.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 820–824.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber, S. S., Felner, R. D., & Primavera, J. (1985). Parental separation/divorce and adolescents: An examination of factors mediating adaptation.American Journal of Community Psychology, 13, 171–185.

    Google Scholar 

  • Felner, R. D., Farber, S. S., Ginter, M. A., Boike, M. F., & Cowen, E. L. (1980). Family stress and organization following parental divorce or death.Journal of Divorce, 4, 67–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. A. (1921). On the probable error of a coefficient of correlation deduced from a small sample.Metron, 1, 3–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1985). If it changes it must be a process: Study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 150–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., & Gruen, R. J. (1986). Dynamics of a stressful enounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 992–1003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forehand, R., Fauber, R., Long, N., Brody, G. H., & Slotkin, J. (1987). Maternal depressive mood following divorce: An examination of predictors and adolescent adjustment from a stress model perspective.Advances in Family Intervention, Assessment and Theory, 4, 71–98,

    Google Scholar 

  • Forehand, R., McCombs, A., Long, N., Brody, G., & Fauber, R. (1988). Early adolescent adjustment to recent parental divorce: The role of interparental conflict and adolescent sex as mediating variables.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 624–627.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M. (1989). Coping with family transitions: Winners, losers, and survivors.Child Development, 60, 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M., & Camara, K. A. (1984). Families in transition: The processes of dissolution and reconstitution. In R. Parke (Ed.),Review of child development research (Vol. 7, pp. 398–439). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M., Cox, M., & Cox, R. (1981). The aftermath of divorce. In E. M. Hetherington & R. D. Parke (Eds.),Contemporary readings in child psychology (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M., Cox, M., & Cox, R. (1982). Effects of divorce on parents and children. In M. Lamb (Ed.),Nontraditional families (pp. 238–288). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M., Cox, M. Cox, R. (1985). Long-term effects of divorce and remarriage on the adjustment of children.Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 518–530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hetherington, E. M., Stanley-Hagan, M., & Anderson, E. R. (1989). Marital transitions: A child's perspective.American Psychologist, 44, 303–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, W. F., Buchshaum, H. K., & Tierney, C. W. (1983). Parent-child relationships and adjustment in preschool children in divorced and intact families.Journal of Divorce, 7, 43–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hollingshead, A. B. (1975).Four-factor index of social status. New Haven, CT: Yale University Department of Sociology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennrich, R. I. (1970). An asymptoticχ 2test for the equality of two correlation matrices.Journal of the American Statistical Association, 65, 904–912.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanner, A. D. (1982, August).Daily hassles as mediators of employment/gender differences in adaptational outcomes. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

  • Kanner, A. D., Coyne, J. C., Schaefer, C., & Lazarus, R. S. (1981). Comparison of two modes of stress measurement: Daily hassles and uplifts versus major life events.Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 1–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kurdek, L. A., & Sinclair, R. J. (1988). Adjustment of young adolescents in two-parent nuclear, stepfather, and mother-custody families.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 91–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krantz, S. E., Clark, J., Pruyn, J. P., & Usher, M. (1985). Cognition and adjustment among children of separated or divorced parents.Cognitive Therapy and Research, 9, 61–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984).Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazerlere, R. E., & Mulaik, S. A. (1977). Single-sample tests for many correlations.Psychological Bulletin, 84, 557–569.

    Google Scholar 

  • Long, N. & Forehand, R. (in press). Parental divorce research. In G. H. Brody & I. Siegel (Eds.),Family research: Vol. 2. Research on families at risk.

  • McClanahan, S. S. (1983). Family structure and stress: A longitudinal comparison of two-parent and female-headed families.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 347–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moos, R. H. (1984). Context and coping: Toward a unifying conceptual framework.American Journal of Community Psychology, 12, 5–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, A. J., & Glick, P. C. (1986). One parent families: A social and economic profile.Family Relations, 35, 9–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, B., & O'Leary, K. D. (1980). Marital discord and childhood behavior problems.Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 8, 287–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Propst, L. R., Pardington, A., Ostrom, R., & Watkins, P. (1986). Predictors of coping in divorced single mothers.Journal of Divorce, 9, 33–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rickel, A. U., & Langner, T. S. (1985). Short- and long-term effects of marital disruption on children.American Journal of Community Psychology, 13, 599–611.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandler, I. N., Wolchik, S. W., Braver, S. L., & Fogas, B. (1986). Significant events of children of divorce: Toward the assessment of a risky situation. In S. M. Auerbach & A. Stolberg (Eds.),Crisis intervention with children and families (pp. 65–87). New York: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarason, I. G., Johnson, J. H., & Siegal, J. M. (1978). Assessing the impact of life changes: Development of the Life Experiences Survey.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 932–946.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stolberg, A. L., & Anker, J. M. (1984). Cognitive and behavioral changes in children resulting from parental divorce and consequent environmental changes.Journal of Divorce, 7, 23–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stolberg, A. L., & Garrison, K. M. (1985). Evaluating a primary prevention program for children of divorce: The Divorce Adjustment Project.American Journal of Community Psychology, 13, 111–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tetzloff, C. E., & Barrera, M. (1987). Divorcing mothers and social support: Testing the specificity of buffering effects.American Journal of Community Psychology, 15, 419–434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vermont Office of Policy Research and Coordination. (1988).Vermont: An economic-demographic profile series. Montpelier, VT: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wagner, B. M., & Compas, B. E. (inpress). Gender, instrumentality, and expressivity: Moderators of adjustment to stress during adolescence.American Journal of Community Psychology.

  • Wallerstein, J. S. (1987). Children of divorce: Report of a ten-year follow-up of early latency-age children.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57, 199–211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinraub, M., & Wolf, B. M. (1983). Effects of stress and social supports on mother-child interactions in single- and two-parent families.Child Development, 54, 1297–1311.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, R. S. (1979). Growing up a little faster: The experience of growing up in a single-parent household.Journal of Social Issues, 35, 97–111.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Compas, B.E., Williams, R.A. Stress, coping, and adjustment in mothers and young adolescents in single- and two-parent families. Am J Commun Psychol 18, 525–545 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00938058

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00938058

Keywords

Navigation