Predicting change in adolescent adjustment from change in marital problems.

The present prospective, longitudinal study of 451 adolescents and their parents extends earlier research by investigating whether change in marital problems predicts change in adolescent adjustment, after controlling for other marital problems and socioeconomic status. Latent growth curves over a period of 5 years were used, and the results revealed that in general, increases or decreases in marital distress and conflict predicted corresponding increases or decreases in adolescent adjustment problems over time. In addition, the analyses suggested that increases in marital distress are as harmful for adolescent adjustment as increases in marital conflict.