The Complex Role of Parental Separation in the Association between Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior

Y Xërxa; LA Rescoria; Fadila Serdarevic; Marinus IJzendoorn; Vincent Jaddoe; Frank Verhulst; Pieternel Luijk; Henning Tiemeier

doi:10.1080/15374416.2018.1520118

The Complex Role of Parental Separation in the Association between Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior

Y Xërxa, LA Rescoria, Fadila Serdarevic, Marinus IJzendoorn, Vincent Jaddoe, Frank Verhulst, Pieternel Luijk, Henning Tiemeier

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Parental separation is a major adverse childhood experience. Parental separation is generally preceded by conflict, which is itself a risk factor for child problem behavior. Whether parental separation independent of conflict has negative effects on child problem behavior is unclear. This study was embedded in Generation R, a population-based cohort followed from fetal life until age 9 years. Information on family conflict was obtained from 5,808 mothers and fathers. The 4-way decomposition method was used to apportion the effects of prenatal family conflict and parental separation on child problem behavior into 4 nonoverlapping components. Structural equation modeling was used to test bidirectional effects of child problem behavior and family conflict over time. Family conflict from pregnancy onward and parental separation each strongly predicted child problem behavior up to preadolescence according to maternal and paternal ratings. Using the 4-way decomposition method, we found evidence for a strong direct effect of prenatal family conflict on child problem behavior, for reference interaction, and for mediated interaction. The evidence for interaction implies that prenatal family conflict increased the children’s vulnerability to the harmful effect of parental separation. There was no evidence of a pure indirect effect of parental separation on child problem behavior. Overall, results indicated that if parental separation occurs in families with low levels of conflict, parental separation does not predict more child problem behavior. Moreover, the bidirectional pattern suggested that child problem behavior influences the persistence of family conflict.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	79-93
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
Volume	49
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520118 https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520118
Publication status	Published - 2 Jan 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The general design of the Generation R Study is supported by the Erasmus Medical Center-Rotterdam, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, the Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and the Stichting Trombosedienst and Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond. Henning Tiemeier was supported by a grant of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO grant No. 024.001.003), Consortium on Individual Development, funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013): ACTION: Aggression in Children: (grant number 602768), and NWO/ZonMW grant 016.VICI.170.200). ERAWEB scholarship, financed by the European Commission was granted to Yllza Xerxa (grant agreement 2013-2548/001-001-EMA2). The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam. in close collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service, Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond. We thank the contribution of participating parents and their children, general practitioners, hospitals, midwives, and pharmacies. We also thank Sonja Swanson for providing important statistical advice.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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EMC MM-04-54-08-A
EMC ONWAR-01-58-02

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Xërxa, Y., Rescoria, LA., Serdarevic, F., IJzendoorn, M., Jaddoe, V., Verhulst, F., Luijk, P., & Tiemeier, H. (2020). The Complex Role of Parental Separation in the Association between Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 49(1), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520118, https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520118

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abstract = "Parental separation is a major adverse childhood experience. Parental separation is generally preceded by conflict, which is itself a risk factor for child problem behavior. Whether parental separation independent of conflict has negative effects on child problem behavior is unclear. This study was embedded in Generation R, a population-based cohort followed from fetal life until age 9 years. Information on family conflict was obtained from 5,808 mothers and fathers. The 4-way decomposition method was used to apportion the effects of prenatal family conflict and parental separation on child problem behavior into 4 nonoverlapping components. Structural equation modeling was used to test bidirectional effects of child problem behavior and family conflict over time. Family conflict from pregnancy onward and parental separation each strongly predicted child problem behavior up to preadolescence according to maternal and paternal ratings. Using the 4-way decomposition method, we found evidence for a strong direct effect of prenatal family conflict on child problem behavior, for reference interaction, and for mediated interaction. The evidence for interaction implies that prenatal family conflict increased the children{\textquoteright}s vulnerability to the harmful effect of parental separation. There was no evidence of a pure indirect effect of parental separation on child problem behavior. Overall, results indicated that if parental separation occurs in families with low levels of conflict, parental separation does not predict more child problem behavior. Moreover, the bidirectional pattern suggested that child problem behavior influences the persistence of family conflict.",

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note = "Funding Information: The general design of the Generation R Study is supported by the Erasmus Medical Center-Rotterdam, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, the Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and the Stichting Trombosedienst and Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond. Henning Tiemeier was supported by a grant of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO grant No. 024.001.003), Consortium on Individual Development, funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013): ACTION: Aggression in Children: (grant number 602768), and NWO/ZonMW grant 016.VICI.170.200). ERAWEB scholarship, financed by the European Commission was granted to Yllza Xerxa (grant agreement 2013-2548/001-001-EMA2). The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam. in close collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service, Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond. We thank the contribution of participating parents and their children, general practitioners, hospitals, midwives, and pharmacies. We also thank Sonja Swanson for providing important statistical advice. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, {\textcopyright} 2019 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.",

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Xërxa, Y, Rescoria, LA, Serdarevic, F, IJzendoorn, M, Jaddoe, V, Verhulst, F, Luijk, P & Tiemeier, H 2020, 'The Complex Role of Parental Separation in the Association between Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior', Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, vol. 49, no. 1, pp. 79-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520118, https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520118

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AU - Rescoria, LA

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AU - Verhulst, Frank

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AU - Tiemeier, Henning

N1 - Funding Information: The general design of the Generation R Study is supported by the Erasmus Medical Center-Rotterdam, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, the Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and the Stichting Trombosedienst and Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond. Henning Tiemeier was supported by a grant of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO grant No. 024.001.003), Consortium on Individual Development, funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013): ACTION: Aggression in Children: (grant number 602768), and NWO/ZonMW grant 016.VICI.170.200). ERAWEB scholarship, financed by the European Commission was granted to Yllza Xerxa (grant agreement 2013-2548/001-001-EMA2). The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam. in close collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service, Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond. We thank the contribution of participating parents and their children, general practitioners, hospitals, midwives, and pharmacies. We also thank Sonja Swanson for providing important statistical advice. Publisher Copyright: © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

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N2 - Parental separation is a major adverse childhood experience. Parental separation is generally preceded by conflict, which is itself a risk factor for child problem behavior. Whether parental separation independent of conflict has negative effects on child problem behavior is unclear. This study was embedded in Generation R, a population-based cohort followed from fetal life until age 9 years. Information on family conflict was obtained from 5,808 mothers and fathers. The 4-way decomposition method was used to apportion the effects of prenatal family conflict and parental separation on child problem behavior into 4 nonoverlapping components. Structural equation modeling was used to test bidirectional effects of child problem behavior and family conflict over time. Family conflict from pregnancy onward and parental separation each strongly predicted child problem behavior up to preadolescence according to maternal and paternal ratings. Using the 4-way decomposition method, we found evidence for a strong direct effect of prenatal family conflict on child problem behavior, for reference interaction, and for mediated interaction. The evidence for interaction implies that prenatal family conflict increased the children’s vulnerability to the harmful effect of parental separation. There was no evidence of a pure indirect effect of parental separation on child problem behavior. Overall, results indicated that if parental separation occurs in families with low levels of conflict, parental separation does not predict more child problem behavior. Moreover, the bidirectional pattern suggested that child problem behavior influences the persistence of family conflict.

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The Complex Role of Parental Separation in the Association between Family Conflict and Child Problem Behavior

Abstract

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