Coparental Communication with Nonresidential Parents as a Predictor of Couples' Relational Satisfaction and Mental Health in Stepfamilies

Abstract

This study tested the degree to which coparental communication with nonresidential parents predicted couples' relational satisfaction and mental health in stepfamilies. Participants included 127 stepfamily dyads. Results revealed that stepparents' coparental communication with nonresidential parents positively predicted their satisfaction with their current partners (i.e., with residential parents). For mental health, stepparents' coparental communication with nonresidential parents reduced their mental health symptoms, but positively predicted their partner's mental health symptoms (i.e., indicating poorer mental health). Consequently, the results highlight the ambivalence residential parents may experience as they manage the tensions associated with having their new partners coparent with their ex-spouses.