High-conflict Families Research Articles

Conclusion: Mental health and legal responses to the adolescent mental health crisis: Raising the bar on best interests and promoting family connectedness in divorcing families

AbstractWe are currently facing an unprecedented increase in adolescent mental health problems resulting in alarmingly high levels of depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Significant mental health problems among youth pose unique challenges to families in the process of separation and divorce, as well as to family law professionals across all disciplines. The current adolescent mental health crisis calls for new ways of approaching our work with high conflict families to promote family connectedness and shift away from adversarial approaches that may exacerbate conflict and further destabilize families. As a conclusion to the special issue on adolescent mental health needs, the authors make multidisciplinary best practices recommendations and advocate for systems level changes in recognition of the needs of youth in crisis at this pivotal developmental stage.

The Unique and Interactive Roles of Neural Reward Sensitivity and Family Conflict in Predicting Youth’s Internalizing Problems: A Biopsychosocial Approach

Adolescence is a period marked by heightened neural sensitivity to reward, which is associated with less internalizing problems (Hanson et al., 2015; Ng et al., 2019). However, it remains unknown how reward sensitivity may interact with family environment in predicting youth’s internalizing problems. Therefore, the current research took a biopsychosocial approach to examine this question. Data were obtained from baseline (T1) and one-year follow-up (T2) of the ABCD study. At T1, youth (N = 8762; mean age = 9.93 years; 51% boys) completed the Monetary Incentive Delay task during fMRI scanning, which measured neural activity during reward processing. Moreover, family conflict at T1 and youth’s internalizing problems at T1 and T2 were assessed. Youth’s ventral striatum activity during reward receipt at T1 predicted fewer internalizing problems at T2, controlling for internalizing problems at T1 and demographic covariates. Family conflict at T1 predicted youth’s more internalizing problems over time. Importantly, there was an interaction effect between ventral striatum activity and family conflict. When family conflict was low, greater neural sensitivity to reward predicted youth’s fewer internalizing problems over time; in contrast, youth from high-conflict families showed high levels of internalizing problems regardless of reward sensitivity. The findings suggest that adverse family environments hinder the positive role of reward sensitivity in youth’s psychological adjustment. Given that youth typically show heightened sensitivity to reward, it is crucial to cultivate a supportive family environment where youth have enough exposure to social rewards from family members instead of stress or conflict.

Contexts of youth stress exposure: Implications for biological processes and internalizing problems in adolescence and early adulthood

Adolescence and early adulthood are recognized as times of rapid development, during which social experiences have heightened importance. These developmental stages also involve increased risk for psychopathology, including depression and other internalizing problems. This symposium aims to highlight how youth stress contexts, ranging from early life adversity to adult social relationships, can impact both biological processes and internalizing symptoms. The four papers in this symposium present data from diverse samples of US-based adolescents and young adults, using cross-sectional and prospective methods. Measures of biological functioning include neural sensitivity to reward, salivary sampling of diurnal cortisol, and DNA methylation. The first paper (Yang) finds that greater reward sensitivity is associated with reduced risk for internalizing symptoms—but that this beneficial association is not present for youth who live in high-conflict family environments. The second paper (Collier Villaume) identifies profiles of diurnal cortisol that are associated with depressive symptoms, finding evidence that both high and low diurnal rhythms are associated with elevated depressive symptoms, compared to those of adolescents with more typical diurnal rhythms. The third paper (Cook), which also examines diurnal cortisol, does so in relation to the social relationships of young sexual minority men. This work finds that race/ethnicity moderates associations between adult attachment and dysregulation of the cortisol awakening response. In the fourth paper (Koning), authors establish that early life adversity is associated with greater methylation of the stress-regulating SLC6A4 gene. Importantly, adversity experienced during adolescence is more strongly associated with DNA methylation than that reported during childhood. The overarching aim of this symposium is to better understand the varied contexts of stress that can affect biological processes and, in turn, young people’s internalizing problems. The panelists will discuss this work with attention to opportunities for minimizing harm or disrupting negative sequelae, in order to support the development and wellbeing of diverse adolescents and young adults.

The red herring of adolescent mental health

AbstractAn increase in adolescent distress and mental health symptoms has been clearly documented since the COVID‐19 pandemic, as has increased exposure to adverse childhood experiences. Layer on top of these stressors being a youth of divorcing or separating high conflict families, and adolescent symptomatology can suddenly become a flashpoint for parental attention, division and conflict. Approaching cases using an ecological and family systems framework is necessary for accurate conceptualization and assessment of best interests in the context of child custody evaluations. Doing so ensures that adolescent mental health does not become a red herring in high conflict cases, leading to undue focus on the adolescent's mental health without considering other salient factors in the case, such as the broader parent conflict. Programs offered at the Center of Excellence for Children, Families & the Law at William James College designed to improve the lives of youth by addressing parental conflict are described.

Desarrollo y Propiedades Psicométricas del Cuestionario de Predicción de la Judicialización de las Relaciones Familiares (C-JUDIFA)

For the sake of prevention in high conflict families in process of separation or divorce who resolve situations by only attending court, and since there is no instrument to identify this trend, this paper aims to create a questionnaire for measuring characteristics predicting judicialization. This paper focuses on C-JUDIFA questionnaire’s content and internal validity, confirming that the items used accurately describe the characteristics to be measured while obtaining a good representativeness of the proposed scales. Factor analysis supports the three-factor structure theoretically proposed, while finding a strong correlation between all 9 suggested constructs. Likewise, further research is needed in order to analyze the relationship of all these factors in the judicialization tendency through the research of external validity.

Parenting coordination, a new role for social workers

• Summary. The main aim of this article is to assess the attention paid in social work to the role of parenting coordinator (PC). These professionals offer individualised support to high-conflict families in their implementation of parenting plans, normalising the relationship between parents and safeguarding the protection of minors. This form of alternative dispute resolution is being incorporated into the judicial system of various countries in a highly heterogeneous manner, with some countries such as Spain and Portugal experiencing uncertain times. A systematic literature review was performed, incorporating existing international studies in English, Spanish and Portuguese as well as court rulings in Spain, to identify the presence of social work as a discipline in this new professional role. • Findings. The findings show that despite the suitable training background of social workers, the involvement of their professional associations and their contributions to the function performed by PCs, there is no specific social work research focused on this area of knowledge. • Applications. The main contribution of this study is the commitment to a new professional niche for social work, traditionally occupied by psychologists. The emphasis should be placed not so much on the original training of the professional, but rather on his or her complementary training and accredited experience in highly conflictive situations.

An Interdisciplinary Case Management Protocol for High-Conflict Families: The Evolution of Coparental Dynamic

ABSTRACT In order to meet the crying needs of high-conflict families and professionals who work with them, a Canadian psycho-legal team developed an intervention protocol called Parentalité–Conflit–Résolution. Sixteen parents completed validated questionnaires to measure co-parenting, parental conflict, and psychological adjustment. Nonparametric analyses were performed to measure pre- and post-intervention effects. Results confirm the severity of communication problems and the high degree of hostility in families participating in the intervention protocol. Parents perceived fewer alienating behaviors in the other parent at the end of the intervention. Mothers perceived a more positive alliance with the other parent, whereas fathers perceived less parental conflict and fewer negative interactions. Longitudinal research should be conducted to measure the sustainability of changes over the long term.

Parental Marital Conflict and Growth in Adolescents\u2019 Externalizing Problems: the Role of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia

Previous studies have examined the moderating effect of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) on the association between marital conflict and externalizing problems, however the findings were inconsistent. One possible reason is that the covariation of internalizing problems in externalizing problems. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine this issue. Participants were 332 Chinese adolescents (54.5% boys) age from 13 to 15 years old. At T1, electrocardiogram monitoring was performed on adolescents during the resting state and stressor tasks (a speech task and a mental arithmetic task) to obtain RSA data. The Chinese version of the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001 (YSR-2001) and the Chinese version of the Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict scale were used to assess adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing problems and their perception of marital conflict, respectively. Adolescents’ problem behaviors were assessed again in the second and third waves of data collection, with a 1-year lag among each wave. The results revealed that the 3- interactions of marital conflict × RSA reactivity in speech task × sex significantly predicted the trajectory of externalizing problems when controlling for internalizing problems from externalizing problems. Specifically, girls with greater RSA suppression to the speech task reported low and stable externalizing problems, however, boys with the same pattern were associated with slightly increased levels of externalizing problems. While, RSA augmentation to the speech task predicted the increase in externalizing problems among both girls and boys in high marital conflict families over time. However, this interaction effects were not significant when not partial out internalizing problems from externalizing problems. The findings highlight the importance of controlling for the covariation of internalizing problems when examining the interaction effects of person and environment on the development of adolescents’ externalizing problems.

A Literature Review on the Use of Online Visitation in Families After Divorce or Separation: Benefits and Risks of Online Visitation and Considerations for the Application for High-Conflict Families

A Literature Review on the Use of Online Visitation in Families After Divorce or Separation: Benefits and Risks of Online Visitation and Considerations for the Application for High-Conflict Families

Family Influences on Caries in Grenada.

If high-conflict family environments are cariogenic across cultures, and can be studied in cultures where both these environments and cariogenic dental practices are particularly prevalent, this would afford the opportunity to examine how these two pathways of risk might interact, laying the stage for culturally competent, integrated prevention efforts. The first investigation involved qualitative data about perceptions of oral health and family stressors in Grenadian families with school-aged children. The second study used a questionnaire and observational data to assess relations among oral health behaviors, relationship satisfaction, parenting, and child behavior; it also included a pilot study of Motivational Interviewing. Most of the themes discussed in focus groups suggested overlap between U.S. and Grenadian parents; possible culture-specific issues were high prevalence of single-parent homes, normativity of physical discipline, less preventive dental care, and more fatalistic view of oral health outcomes. Significant associations were found between parent and child oral health behaviors, between child externalizing and internalizing behaviors, and between family variables (e.g., relationship satisfaction, child behavior) and oral health behaviors (e.g., parent flossing, child brush time). The results strongly support the need for research on the relations between family functioning and oral health to be embedded within culture.

Should we take their children? Caseworkers’ negotiations of ‘good enough’ care for children living with high-conflict parents

ABSTRACT Few studies have explored caseworkers’ perspectives on children’s safety and emotional wellbeing in high-conflict families. Based on focus group and individual interviews with 31 Norwegian child protection services staff, this research concentrated on caseworkers’ assessments when they worry about the intensity of interparental conflicts and their ability to identify the right thresholds for interventions. While the participants agree that excessive conflict is a significant risk factor for children, the findings demonstrate that caseworkers have difficulty assessing the gravity of conflict and potential harmful effects on children, especially when the conflicts are the main cause for concern about the children’s wellbeing. This challenge is related to these professionals’ trouble with understanding how much parents’ behaviours towards each other are normal post-marital conflict and how disputes can affect parenting abilities. The results also show that caseworkers, despite long-lasting concerns, tend not to make care order applications to social welfare boards even if this step is considered. The conclusions include that parents’ higher socio-economic status denotes resilience, overshadowing intense conflict as a risk factor for children’s wellbeing. This perspective combines with the difficult task of deciding what constitutes emotional neglect versus poor parenting abilities to influence caseworkers’ discretionary reasoning and professional convictions.

Parental Alienation in U.S. Courts, 1985 to 2018

Courts have been dealing with alienating behaviors in high conflict family litigation for hundreds of years. Experts in the behavioral sciences have been writing about mothers and fathers manipulating their children to disparage the other parent for more than seventy years. But in the last two decades some social scientists and legal professionals have questioned the legitimacy of parental alienation as a concept and its admissibility in child abuse and child custody litigation. This study was designed to examine the extent to which courts in the United States have found the concept of parental alienation material, probative, relevant and admissible. Thirty‐four years of cases were found with a WESTLAW query and analyzed. Cases were selected for study only if the record reflected that a judge or an independent expert found the concept of parental alienation to be of value in the litigation. Results illustrate increasing awareness of the concept and document its admissibility in every one of the United States. The numbers, sex of the alienating parent and prevalence of significant custody changes are discussed. Limitations inherent in this form of quantitative analysis are also discussed with recommendations for future research.

A Randomized Comparison of Two Psychosocial Interventions on Family Functioning in Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder

Impairments in family functioning are associated with more severe depressive and manic symptoms, earlier recurrences, and more suicidal behaviors in early-onset bipolar disorder. This study examined whether family-focused treatment for adolescents (FFT-A) with BD I or II disorder led to greater increases in family cohesion and adaptability and decreases in conflict over 2years compared to a briefer psychoeducational treatment (enhanced care, EC). Participants were 144 adolescents (mean age: 15.6±1.4years) with BD I or II with a mood episode in the previous 3months. Adolescents and parents were randomized to either FFT-A (21 sessions) or EC (three sessions). Patients received guideline-based pharmacotherapy throughout the 2-year study. Trajectories of adolescent- and parent-rated family cohesion, adaptability, and conflict were analyzed over 2years. FFT-A had greater effects on adolescent-rated family cohesion compared to EC over 2years. Participants in FFT-A and EC reported similar improvements in family conflict across the 2years. In the FFT-A group, low-conflict families had greater adolescent-rated family cohesion throughout the study compared to high-conflict families. High-conflict families in both treatment groups tended to show larger reductions in conflict over 2years than low-conflict families. Family psychoeducation and skills training may improve family cohesion in the early stages of BD. Measuring levels of family conflict at the start of treatment may inform treatment responsiveness among those receiving FFT-A.

THE USE OF ELDERCARING COORDINATION FOR RESOLVING CASES INVOLVING OLDER ADULTS AND HIGH-CONFLICT FAMILY DYNAMICS

The Association for Conflict Resolution and The Florida Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts developed a model of Eldercaring Coordination for use in guardianship/probate cases involving high-conflict family dynamics that interfere with the well-being and safety of an older adult, limit adherence to court orders, impede court processes, or detract from the efficacy of guardianship and other appointments by the court. Developed by 40 organizations and entities in the United States and Canada, Eldercaring Coordination focuses on improving family dynamics so that the older adult, family members, and other involved parties can better work together and with professionals to make thoughtful and informed decisions and to support each other during times of transition. The purpose of this research was to gather information about participant experiences with Eldercaring Coordination. A pre-post test design was employed in which data were collected from older adults or their surrogates, family members and other court-ordered participants, judges and court administrators, and the Eldercaring Coordinators themselves. Findings from post-tests of 23 judges and court administrators revealed that the most common advantages of Eldercaring Coordination were that the intervention prioritized the older adults’ needs and improved family relationships. Post-test surveys from 17 Eldercaring Coordinators indicated some positive outcomes for older adults and their families, but also a need for enhanced authority, greater support from attorneys, and more cooperation from participants. Preliminary findings support the assertion that Eldercaring Coordination holds promise for intervening in high-conflict court cases involving older adults.

The Complexity of Families Involved in High-Conflict Disputes: A Postseparation Ecological Transactional Framework

ABSTRACTThe use of the term ‘high conflict’ to describe a wide range of family dynamics after separation and divorce has increased significantly over the years. At the moment, no consensus on the definition of high conflict exists. Lack of definitional clarity hinders the ability for legal and mental health professionals to assess, identify, and effectively intervene with this population. Based on a rapid evidence assessment of 65 empirically based social science studies relevant to high conflict, this article positions high-conflict separation and divorce using an ecological transactional model to better understand risk factors and indicators associated with these families. Authors propose a more comprehensive definition that captures the complexity and interactions of various risk factors and indicators on multiple levels. Positioning high-conflict families using an ecological model identifies several points of intervention professionals can use and the fundamental need for collaboration among stakeholders for effective intervention.

Firearm Ownership in High-Conflict Families: Differences According to State Laws Restricting Firearms to Misdemeanor Crimes of Domestic Violence Offenders.

This study examines the association between state laws that prohibit firearm ownership for offenders convicted of misdemeanour crimes of domestic violence (MCDV) and firearm ownership in two-parent families with high-conflict male partners with arrest histories. Mixed effects logistic regression models applied to data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth cohort (n = 5,350) determined that living in a state with laws that prohibited firearm ownership for convicted MCDV offenders decreased the likelihood of firearm ownership among families with high-conflict males by 62%. The length of the time limit length on firearm prohibition was correlated with incremental decreases in firearm ownership in such families, with the probability of firearm ownership among families with high-conflict males decreasing from 30% in states with no MCDV laws restricting access from firearms to 12% in states with permanent prohibition on firearm ownership. These findings have significance for public health policy aimed at decreasing intimate-partner homicide.

Does Shared Parenting Help or Hurt Children in High-Conflict Divorced Families?

ABSTRACTDespite a recent shift in the allocation of parenting time arrangements following divorce, there is no clear consensus regarding the effects of shared parenting on children’s adjustment in high-conflict families. We propose key questions and methodological options to increase the ability of results from well-designed empirical studies to inform practice and policy. We review 11 studies of relations between parenting time and parenting quality with children’s adjustment in high-conflict divorced families. Despite heterogeneity of methods used across the studies, some tentative conclusions can be made based on findings of multiple studies. Higher levels of shared parenting were related to poorer child adjustment in samples with high conflict many years following the divorce, but typically not in samples that assessed conflict during the divorcing process or in the 2 or 3 years following the divorce. There is also evidence that the effects of shared parenting on child adjustment in the presence of high conflict differs by gender, and that high quality of parenting by at least 1 parent is associated with better child adjustment in high-conflict divorces. Implications for policy and practice are discussed as well as directions for research to strengthen the knowledge base to inform policy.

Entre o afeto e a sanção: uma crítica à abordagem punitiva da alienação parental

Resumo Este artigo pretende, a par de desenvolver um pensamento crítico em relação ao conceito e à abordagem da alienação parental no Brasil, demonstrar que o Acompanhamento Terapêutico (“AT”), atendimento psicológico clínico que atua no campo social do indivíduo, pode auxiliar na solução de questões complexas que envolvem as famílias em situação de elevada litigiosidade. Este trabalho reúne os saberes do Direito e da Psicanálise numa abordagem interdisciplinar que visa melhor atender às demandas da família e do Judiciário. Trata-se, em um primeiro momento, de estudo crítico, à luz do diálogo entre o Direito e a Psicanálise, da legislação brasileira atual e da maneira como vem sendo aplicada. Em um segundo momento, o trabalho assume um caráter normativo, propositivo, ao sugerir, independentemente de reforma legislativa, uma mudança profunda de postura do Judiciário diante da alienação parental. Este artigo propõe que o acompanhamento psicológico seja proporcionado a toda a família por meio do AT, e que o Acompanhante Terapêutico facilite a efetivação das visitas. A melhor interpretação da Lei de Alienação Parental rejeita a abordagem repressiva do fenômeno e recomenda uma abordagem relacional, tal como preconiza a Psicanálise.

Intergenerational continuity in high-conflict family environments: Investigating a mediating depressive pathway.

Emerging evidence suggests that family conflict shows continuity across generations and that intergenerational family conflict can be more intense and deleterious than conflict experienced in a single generation. However, few investigations have identified etiological mechanisms by which family conflict is perpetuated across generations. Addressing this limitation, we sampled 246 families from a multigenerational, high-risk, longitudinal study of parents (G1s) and their children (G2s), followed from adolescence to adulthood as well as the children (G3s) of G2 targets. Specifically, the current study examined whether G2s' depressive symptoms measured at multiple time points across development explained continuity in family conflict from 1 generation (G1-G2) to the next (G2-G3). Results revealed that after controlling for externalizing symptoms, depressive symptoms served as mediators of intergenerational family conflict in both men and women, but in different ways. Specifically, G2 women's young adulthood represented a period of vulnerability in which G2 depressive symptoms were especially likely to mediate intergenerational continuity in family conflict. Additionally, in both men and women, higher G1-G2 family conflict was associated with higher depressive symptoms that persisted from adolescence into young adulthood and then subsequently predicted the development of G2-G3 family conflict. Results did not support the hypothesis that G2 partner depressive symptoms moderated the relation between G2 depressive symptoms and G2-G3 family conflict. Implications of findings regarding the roles that G2 gender and G2 depressive symptoms play in the intergenerational transmission of family conflict are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Diagnóstico para el diseño de un programa de intervención psicológica para familias en procesos psico-jurídicos de alto conflicto

El presente trabajo expone el diagnóstico realizado sobre actores del sistema de justicia y profesionales del área psico-jurídica familiar para la detección de necesidades de intervención de las familias en procesos jurídicos familiares de alto conflicto. Asimismo, que tal dictamen derive en atención psicológica por orden judicial. Los resultados del diagnóstico dan a conocer las características principales de las familias que se encuentran en estos procesos. En función de estos elementos se definieron las líneas de intervención, así como el diseño, aplicación y evaluación de un programa cuyo objetivo principal fue brindar una alternativa de intervención psico-jurídica bajo un modelo psicoeducativo y de apoyo social. Tal apoyo se proyecta para facilitar la convivencia parento-filial y favorecer la toma de acuerdos entre los padres, además de favorecer el desarrollo óptimo y el bienestar psicológico de las niñas, niños, madres y padres participantes.