Longitudinal data from the National Survey of Children were examined to investigate whether effects of parental divorce are evident in young adulthood. Among 18-to 22-year-olds from disrupted families, 65% had poor relationships with their fathers and 30% with their mothers, 25% had dropped out of high school, and 40% had received psychological help. Even after controlling for demographic and socioeconomic differences, youths from disrupted families were twice as likely to exhibit these problems as youths from nondisrupted families. A significant effect of divorce on mother-child relationships was evident in adulthood, whereas none was found in adolescence. Youths experiencing disruption before 6 years of age showed poorer relationships with their fathers than those experiencing disruption later in childhood. Overall, remarriage did not have a protective effect, but there were indications of amelioration among those who experienced early disruption.

Using data from an ongoing study of welfare recipients and their preschool-aged children, this study examined levels and correlates of self-reported depressive symptoms, and factors predicting transition off welfare assistance, among 173 low-income, single, African American mothers. Forty percent reported symptom levels that are likely to indicate a diagnosis of clinical depression, and very few had received any mental health services. Mothers who had lived as children in households that received AFDC, who had received AFDC themselves for more than five years, who perceived less social support to be available to them, and who reported more life stressors, had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms. Controlling for these factors associated with depression, women with higher symptom levels were slightly less likely to stop receiving AFDC tor some period of time over the two years of the study, but were no less likely to work or attend school. Implications of these findings for the development of programs and services for families on welfare are discussed.

A million children experience divorce each .vear, and some policymakers argue for policies that would muke it more difficult for parents to divorce. Ho\+!ever: being e.rposed to a high degree qf nturital conjlict ittrs been siu,nn to place children at risk for a varien of problems. Using mother-child datu from the Nationul Longitudinul Survey oj' Youth (NLSY) and a prospective design, this research esplores two questions: Do the e8ect.s of marital disruption on child wel[-being varq' for children whose parents leave high-conflict marriages versus low-conjlict marriages? HOW do children fare when their high-conjlict parents remain together? WeJnd that sepamtion and divorce are associated brith increases in hehaCor problems in children, regardless of the level of conflict between parents. However. in marriages that do not break up, high levels of muritul conjlict are associated with even greater increases in children 's behavior problems.

Interventions designed to improve students' coping strategies may be an effective way to reduce mental health problems on college campuses.

No abstract