Post‐Separation Parenting Time Schedules in Joint Physical Custody Arrangements

This study investigated mental health in schoolchildren in different living arrangements after parental separation. The study population included 31,519 children from the Danish National Birth Cohort, followed-up at age 11 in 2010–2014. Child mental health was measured with a maternal report of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Associations between living arrangements and mental health were analyzed using logistic and linear regression models, taking into account early childhood indicators of the parents’ relations, income, education and psychiatric care. At age 11, children living in a nuclear family had the lowest rate of total SDQ score, 8.9%. Of the children who had experienced parental separation, children in joint physical custody had the lowest adjusted odds ratio (OR)1.25 (95%-CI 1.09–1.44), for a high SDQ score relative to children living in a nuclear family, with adjusted ORs of 1.63 (1.42–1.86) and OR 1.72 (1.52–1.95) for sole physical custody arrangements with and without a new partner. An analysis of change in SDQ scores between ages 7 and 11 in children showed a similar pattern. This study indicates that joint physical custody is associated with slightly more favorable mental health in schoolchildren after parental separation than sole physical custody arrangements.

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Children Negotiating their Place through Space in Multi-local, Joint Physical Custody Arrangements

Families in Motion: Ebbing and Flowing through Space and Time ◽

10.1108/978-1-78769-415-620191005 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 79-95

Author(s):

Laura Merla ◽

Bérengère Nobels

Keyword(s):

Joint Physical Custody ◽

Physical Custody ◽

Custody Arrangements

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The relation between joint physical custody, interparental conflict, and children's mental health

Journal of Family Research ◽

10.20377/jfr-621 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lara Augustijn

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Interparental Conflict ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Children’S Mental Health ◽

Children's Mental Health ◽

Joint Physical Custody ◽

The Relationship ◽

Physical Custody ◽

Custody Arrangements

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between joint physical custody and children’s mental health, and tested whether interparental conflict moderated the association. Background: Joint physical custody is an emerging post-separation care arrangement that is expected to counter the negative effects of family dissolution on children’s overall well-being. There is, however, substantial disagreement about the impact that joint physical custody may have on children’s mental health when interparental conflict is high. Method: The statistical analysis was based on data from the Family Models in Germany (FAMOD) study, which was conducted in 2019. The analytical sample consisted of 1,087 post-separation families practicing either sole physical custody or joint physical custody. Linear regression models were estimated to determine the relationship between physical custody arrangements, interparental conflict, and children’s mental health problems. Results: Living in a joint physical custody arrangement was positively related to children's mental health, whereas high levels of interparental conflict were negatively related to children's mental health. However, when levels of interparental conflict were high children in joint physical custody arrangements displayed levels of mental health problems that were quite similar to those of children in sole physical custody arrangements. Conclusion: The findings emphasize that joint physical custody is not a "one-size-fits-all model" that is suitable for all post-separation families, and that it is only beneficial for children's mental health when interparental conflict is low.

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Joint physical custody, parent–child relationships, and children’s psychosomatic problems

Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1007/s10389-021-01583-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lara Augustijn

Keyword(s):

Regression Models ◽

Psychosomatic Complaints ◽

Child Relationship ◽

Psychosomatic Problems ◽

Joint Physical Custody ◽

Mother Child Relationship ◽

Parent Child Relationships ◽

Physical Custody ◽

Parent Child ◽

Custody Arrangements

Abstract Aim The prevalence of psychosomatic complaints among children and adolescents appears to be increasing. At the same time, the numbers of joint physical custody families are rising across Western countries. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between post-separation care arrangements (joint physical custody vs. sole physical custody) and children’s risks of psychosomatic problems, while considering the potential mediating role of parent–child relationships. Subject and methods Based on data from the Family Models in Germany (FAMOD) study, stepwise linear regression models and seemingly unrelated regression models were estimated for a sample of 473 children aged seven to 14 living in either sole physical custody or joint physical custody families. Results Children in joint physical custody families reported significantly fewer psychosomatic problems than children in sole physical custody families. Furthermore, living in a joint physical custody arrangement was associated with better parent–child relationships, although only the mother–child relationship was significantly related to children’s psychosomatic complaints, and partially mediated the association between physical custody arrangements and children’s psychosomatic complaints. No corresponding association could be found with respect to the father–child relationship. Conclusion The risk of psychosomatic problems was distributed unequally among post-separation families, as children living in joint physical custody arrangements suffered from fewer psychosomatic problems than children living in sole physical custody arrangements. Because part of this association was explained by the quality of the mother–child relationship, children’s relationships with other family members appear to be important factors to consider when seeking to promote children’s health in post-separation care arrangements.

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Children’s Experiences of Stress in Joint Physical Custody

Child & Youth Care Forum ◽

10.1007/s10566-021-09659-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lara Augustijn

Keyword(s):

Well Being ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Family Dissolution ◽

Care Arrangement ◽

The Family ◽

Joint Physical Custody ◽

Physical Custody ◽

Custody Arrangements

Abstract Background Joint physical custody is a parental care arrangement in which children live roughly an equal amount of time with each parent after family dissolution, residing alternately in each of the two parental households. Because joint physical custody is characterised by fathers’ continued involvement in their children’s lives, this care arrangement is believed to compensate for the negative effects of family dissolution, and to contribute to children’s well-being in post-separation families. Objective This study aims to investigate potential differences in the experiences of stress of children living in joint physical custody and sole physical custody arrangements, while considering both the proportion of time the children spend with each of their parents and the number of transitions the children make between the parental households. Methods Based on data from the Family Models in Germany (FAMOD) study, a national convenience sample, linear regression models were estimated for 297 children between the ages of 11 and 14. Results The statistical analysis suggests that there was no significant association between the physical custody type (sole physical custody vs. joint physical custody) and the children’s levels of stress. In addition, the results revealed that children’s experiences of stress did not depend on how often they moved between their parents’ households. Conclusions This study does not corroborate the assumption that joint physical custody has a protective effect on children, but instead suggests that different physical custody arrangements are associated with different stressors that lead to similar levels of stress in children living in different post-separation families.

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Verblijfsregelingen en welbevinden van kinderen : Verschillen naar gezinskenmerken

Relaties en Nieuwe Gezinnen ◽

10.21825/reng.v3i11.18245 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (11) ◽

pp. 1-29

Author(s):

An Katrien Sodermans ◽

Sofie Vanassche ◽

Koen Matthijs

Keyword(s):

Parent Child Relationship ◽

Child Relationship ◽

The Family ◽

Sole Custody ◽

Joint Physical Custody ◽

The Relationship ◽

Physical Custody ◽

Parent Child ◽

Custody Arrangements

Sinds 2006 werd het verblijfsco‐ouderschap na scheiding als voorkeursregeling opgenomen in de Belgische wet.Buitenlands onderzoek toonde aan dat kinderen doorgaans een hoger welbevinden vertonen in verblijfsco‐ouderschap dan in een eenouderverblijf. Deze studie onderzocht de relatie tussen de verblijfsregeling van 707Vlaamse kinderen tussen 10 en 21 jaar oud en hun subjectief welbevinden. Daarbij werd ook de rol van drie ge‐zinskenmerken bestudeerd: ouderlijk conflict, de ouder‐kindrelatie en de aanwezigheid van stiefouders. De datavan het ‘Scheiding in Vlaanderen’ onderzoek werden gebruikt. Er waren geen verschillen in subjectief welbevin‐den naargelang de verblijfsregeling van kinderen, onder controle van socio‐economische en demografische ach‐tergrondkenmerken. Bovendien was er geen modererende invloed van de drie gezinskenmerken op de relatietussen verblijfsregeling en subjectief welbevinden. Verblijfsco‐ouderschap lijkt een betere relatie tussen het kinden beide ouders te faciliteren in vergelijking met een eenouderverblijf. In verblijfsco‐ouderschap is er gemiddeldgenomen iets meer ouderlijk conflict dan in een eenouderverblijf, maar dit blijft beperkt tot een niveau dat nietschadelijk is voor het welbevinden. Abstract : Since 2006, a legal recommendation for joint physical custody in included in the Belgian custody law.Earlier research showed that children in joint physical custody have in general better outcomes thanchildren in sole custody arrangements. This study examines the association between joint physicalcustody and adolescent wellbeing and whether this relationship is conditioned by the degree of pa‐rental conflict, the quality of the parent‐child relationship and the complexity of the family configura‐tion of mother and father. We use from the Divorce in Flanders survey, and we have information on707 children between 10 and 21 years old with divorced parents. Overall, the subjective wellbeing ofchildren in joint physical custody was similar to that of children in other custody arrangements. Wefound no support for moderating effects of parental conflict, quality of the relationship with motherand father, and the presence of a new partner in the parental households. Joint physical custodyseems to facilitate a better parent‐child relationship with both parents when compared to sole cus‐tody. In joint physical custody, parents have more occasional conflicts, but this is limited to a levelthat is not harmful for children.

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