Married Parents Research Articles

LINKS. A System for Historical Family Reconstruction in the Netherlands

LINKS stands for 'LINKing System for historical family reconstruction' and is a software system to link nominal data from the Dutch archives and ultimately reconstruct historical individuals and families. We present the background and philosophy of this matching system and explain its data structure and functioning. Currently the core data of the LINKS system consists of indexed civil certificates. These certificates are available from 1812 — the start of the Dutch Vital Registration — until the year they are confidential based on privacy laws. For more than 20 years, thousands of volunteers have been working to build this index, which contains not only the names of newborn, married and deceased persons, but also the names of their parents, places of birth, ages and sometimes their occupational titles. The software system LINKS includes the standardization of all input before linking, nominal record linkage procedures and identification of all unique persons involved in the system. All processes are repeatable and a strict distinction is maintained between source data, standardized, linked and enriched data and released data. Moreover, LINKS also informs archives about all kinds of errors and inconsistencies found during the cleaning and matching process. We will discuss two matching systems, the first is the original querying system that runs within a MySQL database environment and the second is a newly developed system, called burgerLinker, which is based on knowledge graphs and which is designed as a system that can be used independently from LINKS and is made available as open source software. Finally, we present the most important releases of LINKS data so far: two national releases that link birth and parental marriage certificates, creating families and pedigrees and an integrated dataset of persons, families and family trees in four provinces.

Identification of zona pellucida defects revealed a novel loss-of-function mutation in ZP2 in humans and rats.

Human zona pellucida (ZP) plays an important role in reproductive process. Several rare mutations in the encoding genes (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3) have been demonstrated to cause women infertility. Mutations in ZP2 have been reported to cause ZP defects or empty follicle syndrome. We aimed to identify pathogenic variants in an infertile woman with a thin zona pellucida (ZP)phenotype and investigated the effect of ZP defects on oocyte genetranscription. We performed whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing of genes were performed for infertilite patients characterized by fertilization failure in routine in vitro fertilization (IVF). Immunofluorescence (IF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were used in the mutant oocytes. Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to investigate transcriptomes of the gene-edited (Zp2mut/mut) rat model. Biological function enrichment analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and IF were performed. We identified a novel homozygous nonsense mutation of ZP2 (c.1924C> T, p.Arg642X) in a patient with non-consanguineous married parents. All oocytes showed a thin or no ZP under a light microscope and were fertilized after ICSI. The patient successfully conceived by receiving the only two embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage. The immunofluorescence staining showed an apparently abnormal form of the stopped oocytes. We further demonstrated a total of 374 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the transcriptome profiles of Zp2mut/mut rats oocytes and highlighted the signal communication between oocytes and granulosa cells. The pathway enrichment results of DEGs showed that they were enriched in multiple signaling pathways, especially the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway in oocyte development. qRT-PCR, IF, and phosphorylation analysis showed significantly downregulated expressions of Acvr2b, Smad2, p38MAPK, and Bcl2 and increased cleaved-caspase 3 protein expression. Our findings expanded the known mutational spectrum of ZP2 associated with thin ZP and natural fertilization failure. Disruption of the integrity of the ZP impaired the TGF-β signaling pathway between oocytes and surrounding granulosa cells, leading to increased apoptosis and decreased developmental potential of oocytes.

Parent-child relationships and psychological distress: survey of parents from low-income families after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aims to shed light on parent-child relationships and the psychological health of parents from low-income families after the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This cross-sectional study recruited 553 parents of children aged 13-24 years in low-income community settings. The Parent-Child Conflict scale of the Parental Environment Questionnaire (PEQ) was used to measure parent-child conflict. Psychological distress was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale short form (DASS-21). The study revealed a low level of parent-child conflict in the overall study population, with a median PEQ of 48.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 36 to 48). Concerning demographics, married parents reported a likelihood of having a higher level of parent-child conflict over 3 times higher than single parents (OR = 3.18 95%, CI 1.30-7.75). More parent-child conflicts were also found in parents aged 60-72 years old who were unemployed, retired, or housewives and from lower-income groups. In regard to lifestyle factors, a higher level of physical activity and having enough sleep were associated with lower levels of parent-child conflict. Only approximately 1% of the participants reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress. Low risk exists for parent-child conflict and psychological sequelae following the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, which could be due to various support measures implemented by the government. Vulnerable parents identified as being at risk of parent-child conflict warrant attention in future advocacy efforts.

A Study on the Developmental Process of A Male Sex Worker’s Suicidal Ideation and Family Dynamics: Focused on A Family Therapy Case Study

본 연구의 목적은 자살사고가 있는 호스트바 청년의 가족치료 사례를 중심으로, 내담자의 생애발달주기에 따른 가족 내 역동을 탐색함으로써 태아기부터 성인기까지 내담자의 자살사고에 영향을 미친 요인들을 살펴보는데 있다. 연구방법으로는 복합적인 현상을 심층적으로 분석할 수 있는 사례연구 방법을 적용하였고, 분석결과를 생애발달주기에 따라 범주화하여 제시하였다. 연구 결과, 태아기부터 성인기까지 내담자를 둘러싼 가족의 역동은 내담자가 불안정한 애착관계를 형성하도록 하였으며, 내담자의 불안정한 정서와 우울증을 심화시켜 자살사고에 이르게 한 것으로 나타났다. 첫째, 태아기에는 부모의 혼전임신으로 인한 결혼과 부모의 미해결된 원가족 요인으로 내담자에게 태아기 불안이 나타났다. 둘째, 아동기에는 부모의 외도와 여동생 출생스트레스로 인하여 내담자는 불안정한 애착관계를 형성하였다. 셋째, 청소년기에 내담자는 억압적인 부모의 통제와 내담자의 억압 행동과 불안한 정서로 인해 경직된 가정 분위기가 조성되면서 기존의 불안이 심화되었다. 넷째, 성인기에 내담자는 지지체계의 부재, 공허한 대인관계, 불안정한 정서와 미래로 인하여 불안이 증폭되었다. 이러한 연구결과를 토대로 본 연구는 생애발달주기에 따른 가족 역동과 부모와의 불안정한 애착으로 인한 자살사고의 발달과정을 이해할 수 있는 독특한 준거틀을 제공하였다는 데 의의가 있다.Objectives: This study examined a family therapy case of a male sex worker with suicidal ideation. The study aimed to identify the factors that contributed to the client’s suicidal ideation by exploring the family dynamics according to the client’s life cycle. Methods: We used the case study method and suggested the analysis results according to the life cycle. Results: The findings revealed that the client’s suicidal ideation was associated with family dynamics. First, the client’s anxiety in the prenatal period was linked with parental marriage resulting from premarital pregnancy and the parents’ unresolved family of origin issues. Second, the client had formed an insecure attachment in childhood due to the stress caused by his parents’ extramarital affair and the birth of a younger sister. Third, the client experienced an oppressive family environment in adolescence which led the client to suppress himself. Fourth, the client’s suicidal ideation intensified in adulthood as he experienced growing anxiety. Conclusions: This study provides a unique framework to understand the development of suicidal ideation by examining family dynamics and attachment according to the life cycle.

My Literary Entomology Metamorphosis

MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL “EVO-DEVO” HAS BRIDGED THE ANALOG ANDTHE DIGITAL, THE SCIENTIFIC AND THE CREATIVE, AND THE SOLITARY AND SOCIAL. THAT JOURNEY CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. Timing is everything. I firmly believe it matters less where you are than when you are. My personal and professional “evo-devo” has bridged the analog and the digital, the scientific and the creative, and the solitary and social. That journey continues to this day. I grew up in Portland, Oregon, under overcast skies and within the stormy marriage of my parents. They eventually separated and divorced when I was around ten years old. I found solace in playing outdoors and fascination in the smaller worlds of insects and arachnids. My kindergarten teacher, a gifted artist, had drawn a “torpedo spider” on the blackboard and explained its remarkable behavior. Later, I learned it was a trapdoor spider, and later still discovered that we had relatives of those amazing beasts right there in Oregon: folding-door spiders in the family Antrodiaetidae. I was hooked from that moment on.

Factors Associated with Stress among Parents of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Raising children with Attention De?cit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be stressful and exhausted. These children need special care and attention from parents to make sure their growth in all aspects such as mental health, patience level and their behaviour. The aim of this study is to determine the factors contributing the stress of parents having children with ADHD. Sample of the study consisted of 175 parents of ADHD children from 36 randomly selected schools which included three different District Education Office of Bangsar/Pudu, Keramat and Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. Binary Logistic Regression is used to identify factors affecting stress of parents having ADHD children. Data analysis revealed that social sup¬port and marital status of divorced signi?cantly in?uenced the parents’ stress, while child’s age, child’s gender, child’s comorbid, child’s diagnosis, parent’s gender, marital status for single and married parents, and parent’s ?nancial, did not contribute signi?cantly toward stress among parents having children with ADHD.

Associations between Gendered Family Structures and Adolescent Stress, Loneliness, and Sadness in South Korea.

While a large literature connects family environments characterized by access to two married biological parents to better child mental health outcomes, we know less about the mechanisms linking family structure to mental health outcomes for children living in other family structures. While essentialist theory suggests that access to both male and female parents will be an important determinant of child mental health, some research directly comparing single-mother and single-father families found no difference in child outcomes by parent gender, suggesting evidence for more structural theories of gender. However, most of this research uses data from Western countries and seldom extends to examining mental health outcomes. In this paper, we used data from a large, generalizable survey of Korean adolescents (the 2021 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey) to compare the mental health of children living in families with two married biological parents, single mothers, and single fathers. Our findings underscore the importance of examining family environments in different contexts.

Stabilita koresidenčních partnerství po narození prvního dítěte: zesílil po roce 1989 "ochranný efekt manželství"?

This article investigates the stability of co-residential partnerships after first birth in the Czech Republic. It explores the ‘marriage premium’, which refers to the advantage that children born to married parents have in comparison to other parental arrangements, and also highlights change in the ‘marriage premium’ after 1989. The analysis also examines the effect of marriage timing: Does the marriage premium differ between pre-birth and post-birth marriages? Did the effect of timing also change after 1989? The analysis is based on Czech GGS (Generations and Gender Survey) data from 2005. Direct marriages are the most stable unions, cohabitations are the least stable. Among couples who were not married, the odds of dissolution increased by 142 per cent (in comparison to marriages without pre-marital cohabitation). This ‘marriage premium’ increased after 1989. Marriage timing has come to play an increasingly important role. In the pre-1989 marriage cohort, pre-birth and post-birth marriage had the same stabilising effect. After 1989, however, pre-delivery wedding stabilises unions more than post-delivery legitimising marriages. We conclude that the era of highly individualised partnership choices has clearly shone a light on the consequences of these choices for subsequent union stability.

Parental views regarding violence in adolescence

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to examine parents' views and experiences regarding their adolescent children's violent and aggressive behaviours within the framework of the Non‐Violent Resistance approach in Turkish culture. The study group consisted of 40 volunteer married parents (35 females, 5 males) between the ages of 30 and 56 who resided in Central Anatolia. We conducted a descriptive study using a phenomenological design. A thematic analysis method was used in the analysis of the data. Within the framework of the results, we describe parents' experiences of their children's violence, their responses to such behaviour and their accounts of parental conflicts and presence.

Reflecting on the differences between young offenders and their typically developing and low achieving peers: a comparative study

Abstract This study examined the differences among the typically developing, low-achieving, and young offender participants on indices of oral and silent reading, listening comprehension, the Raven and behavior scales, and parental status. A convenient sample of 81 males and females from the same geographical region in the Sultanate of Oman took part in this study. Analyses showed that the typically developing participants obtained a higher Raven score, achieved better on the behavior scale, and performed commensurately with their current grade placement in oral, silent, and listening skills when compared with both the young offenders and low-achieving participants. The academic skills of the young offenders were better than those of the low-achieving participants, a strong indication that the low-achieving group had more serious academic difficulties when compared with the young offenders. The young offenders living with married parents obtained a better score on the adjustment disorder domain than those who had divorced or deceased parents. The results suggested that the young offender and underachieving participants were not entirely identical in their profiles. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Parental oral health literacy influences preschool children's utilization of dental services.

Parental behavior towards their children's oral health is strongly influenced by parent's Oral Health Literacy (OHL) level. This study evaluated the impact of parental OHL on preschool children's utilization of dental services. A cross-sectional study was conducted with parents of 419 children aged 3 to 5 years who answered a self-administered questionnaire about their perception of their children's oral health and whether their children had already been to a dental visit. Parental OHL level was assessed by the validated version of the Oral Health Literacy Adult Questionnaire (OHL-AQ) translated into Brazilian Portuguese. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses with robust variance were used for the data analysis (α = 0.05). Most children had already been to a dental visit (73%). Overall, 31.7% of the parents or guardians reported that their children had experienced dental pain or dental caries. Parental OHL level was classified by tercile as low, medium, and high. The final model showed independent associations between children who had already been to a dental visit and higher parental OHL level (PR = 1.16; 95%CI = 1.00-1.35) when compared to the lowest OHL level, higher parental educational level (PR = 1.39; 95%CI = 1.03-1.87) when compared to lower educational level, the report of children's pain and dental caries (PR = 1.22; 95%CI = 1.09-1.36) and married parents or parents in a common-law marriage (PR = 1.17; 95%CI = 1.03-1.93). The prevalence of children who had already been to a dental visit was higher among those parents with a higher OHL level when compared to those with a lower OHL level.

Социальные и метаболические факторы риска артериальной гипертензии у подростков

Aim: to study the features of social and metabolic indicators in adolescents with arterial hypertension (AH), to assess their informative significance and the magnitude of their contribution to the risk of developing this pathology. Design: a comparative clinical study of patients. Materials and Methods: The object of the study was adolescents aged 12–17 years (boys and girls) with and without AH. The 1st stage included the analysis of biomedical, social and metabolic indicators, the 2nd stage included an assessment of the informative significance and degree of participation of indicators as risk factors for AH. Methods: questioning, laboratory, clinical and functional, statistical. Examination program: verification of AH and its severity; association of AH with functional somatic disorders; features of biomedical, social and metabolic indicators; assessment of the significance and contribution of indicators as risk factors for AH. Results. Of the 504 examined, AH was diagnosed in 86 (17.06%) adolescents, of which 47.7% (41 people) had grade 1 AH and 52.3% (45 people) had grade 2 AH. Social risk factors for hypertension associated with family characteristics: the degree of marriage of parents — temporary cohabitation (OR = 3.36), father's profession — worker (OR = 3.14), father's education — secondary special (OR = 2.25), deviant family (OR = 2.78), family at medical and social risk (OR = 1.87). Metabolic predictors of the risk of AH: the presence of DLP (OR = 1.95), HChS (OR = 2.62), HTG (OR = 2.21), Hyper-β-CHS (OR = 1.87) and Hyper-pre-β-ChS (OR = 2.14). Conclusion. Along with traditional ones, it is necessary to identify and correct socially determined and metabolic risk factors for AH in order to optimize the diagnosis and prevention of this pathology in adolescents. Keywords: adolescents, arterial hypertension, risk factors, social factors, lipid spectrum

Visualizing Children's Family Structure.

This visualization illustrates the multidimensionality of family life among U.S. children. The authors used the 2022 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series to examine the intersection of three family structure domains: number of parents, relationship of child to parent(s), and parental union type. Even as 74 percent of children live with two parents, only 60 percent lived with their two biological or adoptive married parents, and substantial variation was evident in children's family configurations. By focusing on child's relationship to parent, the authors revealed that a minority of children lived with only their stepparent(s). A consideration of parents' parental union status shows that parents within stepfamilies are almost nearly as likely to cohabit than marry. Children not residing with their parents were mostly living with other family members, mainly their grandparents, and these relatives were largely married or single. The results suggest that limiting family structure to one domain conceals its complexity by providing a narrow lens on families.

Is the household food security the nucleus determinant for the prevalence of stunting in Purworejo Regency?

This study aims to analyze household food security as the core determinant of stunting and Purworejo Regency of Central Java Province as a case study. Methodologically, this study used multiple binary regression models. This study analyzed 250 samples selected randomly tiered (multi-stage random sampling). The equation used is stunting as a dependent variable and an independent variable (dummy) in the form of household food security and control variables (parental marriage age, use of contraceptives, gestation, parity, early breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, pollution status, and distance of health facilities). As a result, household food security is proven to be a core determinant of stunting in Purworejo District. Household food security has a significant effect on the -0.679 (α 0.001) coefficient on stunting. This means that houses that have food security have the opportunity to reduce the risk and prevent stunting by 67.9% than those that do not. As a control variable, the use of contraceptives, parity, early initiation of breastfeeding, and exclusive breastfeeding had a significant negative effect on stunting while pollution status had a significant positive effect. This model has been able to explain the research phenomenon by 58.2% (adjusted R-square 0.582).

A novel deletion mutation in the ATP6V0A2 gene in an Iranian patient affected by autosomal recessive cutis laxa.

Cutis laxa (CL) can be caused by mutations in a number of genes. Cutis laxa with autosomal recessive inheritance due to mutations in several genes, including mutations in the ATP6V0A2 gene, causes autosomal recessive cutis laxa type 2A (ARCL2A). The ATP6V0A2 gene encodes the a2 subunit in the V-ATPases pump. The V-ATPases are located in the membrane of some organelles, including the Golgi or some vesicles, and act as ATP-dependent proton pumps to pH adjustment intracellular segments. Mutations in the ATP6V0A2 gene consist present in ARCL2A patients. We present the case of a 12-year-old girl who was referred to Rasad Laboratory (Tehran, Iran) at the age of 5 with a set of symptoms of congenital disorders. Her clinical phenotype contains distal symmetrical sensory and motor polyneuropathy, loose joints, large nasal roots, growth delay, and wrinkled skin. Also, there was a history of the parental marriage of consanguinity. A potentially pathogenic homozygous deletion mutation was detected in the ATP6V0A2 gene related to ARCL2A. This mutation has not been reported in the other patients with ARCL2A. A novel homozygous deletion mutation in ATP6V0A2 is supposed to be the reason for disease in our proband.

Gendered Associations between Single Parenthood and Child Behavior Problems in the United Kingdom.

Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems are associated with a variety of negative child outcomes, but these conclusions have been drawn from research that usually compares children in families with two biological, married parents to all other family types. We compare behavior problems across two-parent, single-mother, and single-father families, which allows us to explore competing gender theories as possible explanations for why child behavior outcomes may be different across these three categories. Results from analyses of the UK Millennium Cohort Study suggest that while children in both single-mother and single-father families initially look like they experience more behavior problems than those in two-parent families, controlling for physical and, especially, social resources explains potential differences. Similarly, when single mothers and single fathers occupy similar family environments in terms of physical and social resources, their children report similar behavior. In contrast to findings from the US, children of single mothers who occupy similar family environments as children in two-parent families in terms of resources perform slightly better in terms of externalizing behavior problems than their two-parent counterparts. We conclude that constructivist theories more accurately explain gendered parenting behavior and its consequences for child behavior problems. Environmental factors such as income, parental closeness, and participation in extracurricular activities have a significant effect on child behavior problems.

Comparing Children’s Behavior Problems in Biological Married, Biological Cohabitating, and Stepmother Families in the UK

A large body of research shows that children who live with two married biological parents have lower levels of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems compared to their peers in other family structure, including cohabitating biological families. Such patterns suggest that marriage provides a uniquely protective family environment, though we know less about children in the obvious counterfactual case: married stepfamilies. While research suggests children with stepfathers have more behavior problems than those living with married biological parents, we know little about how children with stepmothers fare, or how children with stepparents fare compared to those living with cohabiting biological parents. We use the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) sweep 6 to compare children living with married biological parents, married fathers and stepmothers, and cohabiting biological parents. We find that family structure has no significant relationship with children's internalizing behavior problems, but that children living with a stepmother and biological cohabitating families exhibit more externalizing behavior problems than do those living with married biological parents. Covariates that indicate both physical and social family environments must be considered together to explain differences in married-parent families on externalizing behavior problems.

The Relationship between Developmental Factors and the Big Five personality Traits

The Big Five personality traits theory is a well-accepted taxonomy of personality traits in personality psychology, which consists of five dimensions: openness to experiences, conscientiousness, neuroticism, extraversion, and agreeableness. Understanding the Big Five personality theory is critical to recognizing each individual's underlying nature and characteristics. While there is a plethora of research on the impacts and influences of the Big Five personality traits, little is known about the relationship between an individual's developmental factors and their Big Five personality traits. Without understanding the behaviour between development and personality, accurate and reliable causational experiments in personality psychology cannot exist. This study attempts to provide insight into how an individual's developmental factors are correlated with their Big Five personality traits. The original data was collected from surveys distributed to high schoolers studying in an American curriculum. This exploratory study concluded that an individual's familial relationship quality during childhood was correlated with some of the most significant deviations from the mean score of each Big Five personality trait. Individuals with married but separated parents had the highest scores in agreeableness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and openness to experiences than any other developmental factor. Overall, the findings of this research indicated the complex relationship between an individual's Big Five personality traits and their development factors, providing information necessary for future causation experiments in personality psychology.

Motivation to Study During COVID-19 as a Function of Parent Marital Status

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the learning process into the home and family space, such that parent marital status can affect the student’s studies. These circumstances might pose a challenge for students in general and in particular for those coping, in addition to COVID-19, with family difficulties such as their parents’ divorce. Hence, it is necessary to examine how family situations affect students’ functioning and motivation to study. The current study seeks to address the issue of motivation to study among children of divorced parents versus children of married parents, particularly following the effects of distance learning during COVID-19. This is a pilot study that explores the association between motivation to study in a time of crisis (COVID), which requires a new (digital) study skill, and familial status, family support. In order to relate to this issue, we conducted a study among 148 respondents, school children aged 12-18. Forty-three percent of the respondents were children of divorced parents, while 52.7% were the children of married parents. Through questionnaires, these respondents addressed their parents’ marital status and their attitude to distance versus face-to-face learning. The study also addressed the motivation of these teenagers to study and the association between the different learning methods and parent marital status. The research findings indicate that children of divorced parents have lower intrinsic motivation than children of married parents. It was also found that the variable most influencing motivation to study is learning in the face-to-face method, at 17.1%. A decline in motivation in general, and higher extrinsic motivation among children of divorced parents, derive mainly from parent marital status and the complexities stemming from parents’ divorce. The unstable psychological state of children of divorced parents, both in general and during COVID-19 in particular, affect the level of motivation to study. The findings of the current study indicate the complexities experienced by students during distance learning, their preferences for a certain study method, whether face-to-face or online, and their motivating factors, whether extrinsic or intrinsic. In addition, the study indicated the significance of family support, with its complexities. The research findings may have considerable consequences for the coping of students from different types of families, in normal times in general and in times of crisis in particular.

Relationship Between Parental Marital Status and Levels of Self-Esteem Among Undergraduate Students in Public Universities in Kenya: A Case of University of Kabianga

Kenyan universities have experienced a growing phenomenon of student’s unrest, drug abuse, deaths, relationship break ups, exam malpractice among others, which pose serious challenges in the growth and development of the students. Feelings of self-worth develop very early in childhood, thus parents and guardians play a great role in determining what the child thinks about him or herself. Self-esteem of children from either single or married parent families is important as it has a direct impact on the child’s behavior in school. This study investigated the influence of parental marital status on students’ self-esteem in universities. Causal-comparative research design guided the study. The target population included 840 fourth year students from the University of Kabianga. Proportionate stratified sampling and simple random sampling was utilized to identify a sample size of 271 male and female students. Data was collected by use of a questionnaire. The study established a statistically significant difference (t2.386= 115.788, p < 0.05) between parental marital status and the level of self-esteem among undergraduate students in University of Kabianga. Students from married parent families recorded higher level of self-esteem to students from single parent family. The study concludes that parental marital status has a positive relationship on undergraduate students’ self-esteem in universities. The study also recommends strategies to improve students’ levels of self-esteem. The students should seek and train for self-esteem based counseling even when they are not encountering serious problems. University student counselors to develop SE special counseling programs and activities on psychological and psychosocial issues Keywords: Self-Esteem, Parental Marital Status DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-33-12 Publication date: November 30 th 2022