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Trajectories of interparental conflict and children’s emotional–behavioural functioning at 10–11 years: an Australian population-based study

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Abstract

Interparental conflict (IPC) has the potential to adversely affect children’s social, emotional, and behavioural functioning. The overall objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between both the severity and chronicity of IPC across early and middle childhood and children’s emotional–behavioural functioning at 10–11 years. Specifically, we aimed to: (1) identify distinct trajectories of IPC spanning 10–11 years since birth of the study child as reported by mothers, and (2) examine the emotional–behavioural functioning of children exposed to the identified IPC trajectories. Drawing from a nationally representative longitudinal study of Australian families (N = 4875), four distinct trajectories of IPC were identified: (1) consistently low exposure to IPC over time, (2) persistently elevated exposure to IPC, (3) increasing IPC exposure over time, and (4) decreasing IPC exposure over time. Children exposed to trajectories with high IPC at any point during the study period were reported by their mothers to be experiencing more emotional–behavioural difficulties than children exposed to low IPC over time. Based on teacher report, there were no differences in emotional–behavioural functioning of children exposed to the different patterns of IPC. Our findings reinforce that high parental conflict at any point in a child’s life is a form of adversity that can have adverse consequences for their mental health, and that early interventions for parents and caregivers experiencing high IPC are critical.

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Acknowledgements

This paper uses unit record data from Growing Up inAustralia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The study is conducted in partnership between the Australian Government Department of Social Services (DSS), the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS), and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).The findings and views reported are those of the authors and should not be attributed to DSS, AIFS, or ABS. All MCRI staff were supported by the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Program, and the NHMRC Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence. RG and SB were supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship and an NHMRC Research Fellowship, respectively. DC was supported by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course (CE140100027).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, Australia

    Rebecca Giallo, Monique Seymour, Alison Fogarty, Deirdre Gartland & Stephanie J. Brown

  2. Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

    Rebecca Giallo, Deirdre Gartland & Stephanie J. Brown

  3. Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Mark Feinberg

  4. Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Australia

    Daniel Christensen

  5. Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia

    Catherine Wood

  6. Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

    Stephanie J. Brown

  7. South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia

    Stephanie J. Brown

  8. Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia

    Amanda Cooklin

Authors
  1. Rebecca Giallo
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  2. Monique Seymour
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  3. Alison Fogarty
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  4. Mark Feinberg
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  5. Daniel Christensen
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  6. Deirdre Gartland
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  7. Catherine Wood
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  8. Stephanie J. Brown
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  9. Amanda Cooklin
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Correspondence to Rebecca Giallo.

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Giallo, R., Seymour, M., Fogarty, A. et al. Trajectories of interparental conflict and children’s emotional–behavioural functioning at 10–11 years: an Australian population-based study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 31, 625–635 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01700-7

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