Are associations between parental divorce and children's adjustment genetically mediated? An adoption study

The hypothesis that the association between parental divorce and children's adjustment is mediated by genetic factors was examined in the Colorado Ado ption Project, a prospective longitudinal study of 398 adoptive and biologi cal families. In biological families, children who experienced their parent s' separation by the age of 12 years exhibited higher rates of behavioral p roblems and substance use, and lower Levels of achievement and social adjus tment, compared with children whose parents' marriages remained intact. Sim ilarly, adopted children who experienced their (adoptive) parents' divorces exhibited elevated levels of behavioral problems and substance use compare d with adoptees whose parents did not separate, but there were no differenc es on achievement and social competence. The findings for psychopathology a re consistent with an environmentally mediated explanation for the associat ion between parent divorce and children's adjustment; in contrast, the find ings for achievement and social adjustment are consistent with a geneticall y mediated explanation involving passive genotype-environment correlation.