Parents’ Marital Distress, Divorce, and Remarriage: Links with Daughters’ Early Family Formation Transitions

Citation

Amato, Paul R. & Kane, Jennifer Buher (2011). Parents' Marital Distress, Divorce, and Remarriage: Links with Daughters' Early Family Formation Transitions. Journal of Family Issues, 32(8), 1073-1103. PMCID: PMC3140424

Abstract

We used data from the Add Health study to estimate the effects of parents' marital status and relationship distress on daughters' early family formation transitions. Outcomes included traditional transitions (marriage and marital births) and nontraditional transitions (cohabitation and nonmarital births). Relationship distress among continuously married parents was not related to any outcome. Offspring with single parents and remarried parents had an elevated risk of nonmarital births and nonmarital cohabitation. Offspring with remarried parents with a high-distress relationship had an elevated risk of early marriages and marital births. These results, combined with analyses of mediating variables, provide the strongest support for a modeling perspective, although some support also was found for a perspective based on escape from stress.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0192513X11404363

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2011

Journal Title

Journal of Family Issues

Author(s)

Amato, Paul R.
Kane, Jennifer Buher

PMCID

PMC3140424