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Up to date, the systemic mechanisms that explain the intergenerational transmission of familial dysfunction remain theoretically and empirically unclear. Hence, this study examines the intergenerational transmission of relational and intrapersonal dysfunction and their collective effect on the psychological adjustment of third-generation children through the lens of Bowen family systems theory. Lithuanian parents (N = 348; M age = 40.66; range 26–59) of children aged six to ten years cross-sectionally reported on their differentiation of self (DoS), emotional and relational dynamics within their family-of-origin and nuclear family, and the psychological adjustment of their child of greatest concern. Structural equation modeling and mediation analyses findings offered empirical support to Bowen theory, highlighting that family-of-origin dysfunction is associated with nuclear family intrapersonal and relational dysfunction, and ultimately with third-generation's psychological maladjustment. Results demonstrated that a poor family-of-origin emotional system appears to contribute, via triangulation processes, to reduced DoS in adult children. The reduced DoS appears to perpetuate intergenerational triangulation, and to negatively impact couple relationship and co-parenting functioning within the nuclear family. In contrast to triangulation, couple dysfunction was found to predict poorer psychological adjustment in third-generation offspring. This study advances family systems theory by (i) examining the prominent role of triangulation and DoS within the intergenerational transmission process, (ii) highlighting the potential differential impact of a negative nuclear family emotional system on children through triangulation, and (iii) clarifying the potential role of spousal relationship satisfaction and co-parenting in mediating the relationship between parental DoS and offspring's psychological adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent extensions to life history theory posit that exposure to environmental unpredictability during childhood should forecast negative parental behaviors in adulthood. In the current research, this logic was extended to co-parental behaviors, which refer to how parents coordinate, share responsibility, and support each other's parental efforts. The effects of early-life unpredictability on individual and dyadic co-parental functioning were examined in a sample of 109 families (two parents and their firstborn child) who were followed longitudinally from before the child's birth until the age of two. Greater early-life unpredictability (family changes, residential changes, and parents' occupational changes by age 8) experienced by mothers, but not fathers, predicted more negative co-parental behaviors in triadic observations 6 months post birth, and lower couple-reported co-parenting quality assessed 3, 9, 18, and 24 months post birth. These effects were not explained by parents' childhood socioeconomic status or current relationship quality. These findings highlight the role of mothers in shaping co-parenting relationships and how these relationships might be influenced by mothers' early-life experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested young adults’ feelings of being caught between their parents as mediators of co-parental communication (i.e., supportive and antagonistic communication) and young adults’ mental health and relational satisfaction with parents. Participants included 493 young adult children from intact and divorced families. For participants from intact families, feeling caught mediated indirect effects for both supportive and antagonistic co-parental communication on satisfaction with mothers and mental health symptoms, though direct effects for supportive co-parental communication on all three outcomes remained. For participants from divorced families, however, feeling caught emerged as a mediator only of antagonistic co-parental communication and mental health symptoms. Collectively, the results suggest that feeling caught may function as a mechanism linking co-parental communication to children’s adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined the individual and joint relationships of mature and immature defense mechanisms and the use of negotiation as a conflict resolution strategy with the co-parenting of divorcing couples. The responses of 71 divorcing couples to the study questionnaires were analyzed using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model. Findings showed that both conscious use of negotiation and unconscious use of mature defense mechanisms for the purpose of conflict resolution were associated with the co-parenting of those parents who possessed these qualities, and that where one parent used mature defense mechanisms, the other participated more in his or her children’s lives and showed more cooperation. Almost all actor effects were forms of increased participation in the children’s lives. The lack of partner effects in the case of immature defense mechanisms and positive use of negotiation was discussed, and clinical implications were presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This grounded theory study examined the processes by which women make custody decisions and manage co-parenting after divorce with abusive former husbands. Nineteen women who left abusive husbands were interviewed. Fears, pragmatic concerns, and family ideology pushed them toward custody agreements that continued their involvement with former husbands after divorce. Men who were controlling during marriage were very involved with children postdivorce and continued to exert control over mothers. As a result, women managed conflict, set boundaries, and resisted control in the context of ongoing fear. Postdivorce abuse, positive changes in fathers, and children's recognition of abuse influenced how women co-parented over time. Fears, pragmatic concerns, and family ideology continued to influence their decisions as they planned for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]