PARENTAL DIVORCE DURING EARLY ADOLESCENCE IN CAUCASIAN FAMILIES - THEROLE OF FAMILY PROCESS VARIABLES IN PREDICTING THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES FOR EARLY ADULT PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT

The relationship between parental divorce occurring during adolescence and young adult psychosocial adjustment was examined, as was the role of family process variables in clarifying this relationship. Particip ants were young Caucasian adults from divorced (n = 119) and married ( n = 123) families. Assessments were conducted during adolescence and 6 years later during early adulthood. Young adults from married familie s reported more secure romantic attachments than those from divorced f amilies; however, differences were not evident in other domains of psy chosocial adjustment after demographic variables were controlled. Thre e family process variables (parent-adolescent relationship, interparen tal conflict, and maternal depressive symptoms) were examined as poten tial mediators and moderators of the association between parental divo rce and young adult adjustment. No evidence supporting mediation or mo deration was found; however the parent-adolescent and parent-young adu lt relationships, particularly when the identified parent was the fath er, emerged as significant predictors of young adult psychosocial adju stment.