Empirical Article
Relations Among Father's Presence, Family Conflict, and Adolescent Adjustment in Northern Ireland
Justin M. Luningham, Christine E. Merrilees, Laura K. Taylor,
Marcie Goeke-Morey, Peter Shirlow, Bethany Wentz, E. Mark Cummings,
Laura K. Taylor
University College Dublin
Queen’s University Belfast
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
E. Mark Cummings
University of Notre Dame
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to E. Mark Cummings, Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Electronic mail may be sent to [email protected].
Search for more papers by this authorJustin M. Luningham, Christine E. Merrilees, Laura K. Taylor,
Marcie Goeke-Morey, Peter Shirlow, Bethany Wentz, E. Mark Cummings,
Laura K. Taylor
University College Dublin
Queen’s University Belfast
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
E. Mark Cummings
University of Notre Dame
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to E. Mark Cummings, Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Electronic mail may be sent to [email protected].
Search for more papers by this authorThis research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01 HD046933) and the Office of First Minister & Deputy First Minister, Government of Northern Ireland (ID#2110018224) to E. Mark Cummings. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Abstract
Burgeoning evidence identifies the influence of fathers and, relatedly, fathers in the family context (e.g., family conflict), on adolescent adjustment. However, little is known about the significance of fathers’ presence in contexts of environmental risk. In a unique social–political context of economic and sociopolitical adversity, this study examined relations between adolescent adjustment, fathers’ presence, and family conflict in families in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Based on responses from 999 adolescents (M = 12.18 years; SD = 1.82) and their mothers, participating from 2006 to 2012, fathers’ presence was linked with reduced internalizing symptoms, and family conflict was related to both internalizing and externalizing problems. The discussion considers the implications for understanding family dynamics related to adolescent adjustment in contexts of environmental adversity.
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