Children’s Experiences of Stress in Joint Physical Custody

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.

Family Complexity and Parents’ Migration: The Role of Repartnering and Distance to Non-Resident Children

Recent research suggests that the increasing complexity of family life could be a factor in declines in internal migration (long-distance moves within countries). As many separated parents continue to share childcare responsibilities or have visiting arrangements, their mobility is naturally constrained. However, the relationship between family complexity and individual migration behaviour has never been studied explicitly. We compare separated parents with parents in two-parent families in their likelihood of migrating within the Netherlands. We use detailed records of parents’ partnership status and children’s residential situation. An event-history analysis was performed using register-based population data (N = 442,412). We find that separated, single parents are more likely to migrate than those in two-parent families. The same is true for repartnered mothers, while repartnered fathers are about as likely to migrate as fathers in two-parent families. Separated parents’ migration behaviour depends on where their children live. Having non-resident children who live some distance away is associated with a much higher likelihood of migrating than having resident children or non-resident children who live nearby. Having both resident and non-resident children who live nearby—shared residence (i.e. joint physical custody) is likely common in this situation—is associated with a considerably lower likelihood of migrating than having resident children only. Based on our findings, one would expect family complexities stemming from parental separation to be associated with higher rather than lower levels of migration. However, potential future increases in the number of parents who share physical custody after separation might lead to lower migration levels.

Mental Health in Schoolchildren in Joint Physical Custody: A Longitudinal Study

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.

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

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.

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

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.