Abstract

In this study, we compared the differences in stresses and psychological adjustments between the children of divorce and the children in intact families. We also investigated the differnces in the moderating effect of parental attitudes on the relationship between stresses and psychological adjustment. Furthermore, in case of divorced group, we tested moderating effect of fear of abandoment on the relationship between stresses and psychological adjustments. We found that the children of divorce had a higher stress level, perceived parental attitudes more negatively and suffered more psychological maladjustments such as somatic complaints, anxious/depressed symptoms than the children in intact families. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that the parental warmth and supervision factors moderated the negative relationship between stressful life event and anxious/depressed symptoms significantly in the group of children of divorce, but insignificantly in the group of children in intact families. In the group of children of divorce, the fear of abandonment factor was found to moderate the negative relationship between life stresses, anxious/depressed symptoms and delinquent behaviors significantly. It is suggested that the fear of abandonment is a factor more important than parental attitudes in the treatment of psychological maladjustments of the children of divorce.