Families with Distinct Levels of Marital Conflict and Child Adjustment: Which Role for Maternal and Paternal Stress?

This study addresses the links between distinct levels of marital conflict and mothers\u2019 and fathers\u2019 parenting stress and their associations with children\u2019s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Using a sample of 358 Italian father\u2013mother dyads with school-aged children, the study explores: the relationship between interparental conflict and children\u2019s adjustment; the relationship between interparental conflict and parenting stress; the potential mediating role of maternal and paternal stress in the association between interparental conflict and children\u2019s adjustment. Results show that: high levels of marital conflict negatively affect children\u2019s adjustment; in families with moderate and high levels of marital conflict is correlated to both maternal and paternal stress; and in high conflict families maternal stress mediates the relationship between interparental discord and children\u2019s internalizing behaviors, while paternal stress explains the effect of marital conflict on externalizing behaviors. Future direction of research are discusse