O'Connor T G, Dunn J, Jenkins J M, Pickering K, Rasbash J
Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
Br J Psychiatry. 2001 Aug;179:110-5. doi: 10.1192/bjp.179.2.110.
Children in stepfamilies and single-parent families exhibit elevated levels of behavioural and emotional problems compared with children in intact (biological) families, but there is variation within and across these family types.
To examine the sources of variation in children's behavioural and emotional problems across diverse family settings.
Levels of behavioural and emotional problems in children from diverse stepfamilies and single-parent families were compared with children living with both biological parents. Psychosocial risks were measured at the individual child and family levels.
Behavioural and emotional problems were elevated in children in stepmother/complex stepfamilies and single-parent families, but not in simple stepfather families, relative to 'biological' families. Psychopathology associated with family type was explained by compromised quality of the parent-child relationship, parental depression and socio-economic adversity. Sibling similarity in behavioural and emotional problems was most pronounced in high-risk family settings.
Family type is a proxy for exposure to psychosocial risks; the extent of family-wide influence on children's development may be strongest in high-stress settings.
与完整（亲生父母）家庭中的孩子相比，再婚家庭和单亲家庭中的孩子表现出更高水平的行为和情绪问题，但在这些家庭类型内部和之间存在差异。
研究不同家庭环境下儿童行为和情绪问题的差异来源。
将来自不同再婚家庭和单亲家庭的儿童的行为和情绪问题水平与与亲生父母双方生活在一起的儿童进行比较。在个体儿童和家庭层面测量心理社会风险。
相对于“亲生父母”家庭，继母/复杂再婚家庭和单亲家庭中的儿童存在行为和情绪问题，但简单继父家庭中的儿童不存在此类问题。与家庭类型相关的精神病理学可通过亲子关系质量受损、父母抑郁和社会经济逆境来解释。在高风险家庭环境中，兄弟姐妹在行为和情绪问题上的相似性最为明显。
家庭类型是心理社会风险暴露的一个指标；在高压力环境中，全家庭对儿童发展的影响程度可能最强。
