Psychology Research Digest
Journal of Family Psychology - Vol 40, Iss 7
The Journal of Family Psychology is devoted to the study of the family system from multiple perspectives and to the application of psychological methods of inquiry to that end.
Fears among parents of transgender and gender-diverse youth in the United States.
Parents of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth navigate various fears within a sociopolitical context that increasingly target their children’s rights, safety, and access to care. The secondary minority stress model shows how parents of TGD youth experience minority stress while navigating systems for and with their children, contributing to mental health difficulties, including worry and fear. However, this framework primarily conceptualizes fear at the level of individual stress processes and does not fully interrogate the structural systems that produce and sustain these conditions. Drawing from Liberation Psychology, we conceptualize parental fear as a rational, relational, and socially produced response to systemic oppression rather than individual pathology. Using thematic analysis, we analyzed the greatest fears reported by 1,047 parents of TGD youth across the United States. Our findings identified five key themes of fear concerning (1) violence, (2) mental health difficulties, (3) interpersonal factors, (4) discrimination, and (5) medical concerns. Guided by Liberation Psychology, our findings situate these fears as natural responses to systems that marginalize and devalue TGD children and their families. This study underscores the importance of interrogating structures of oppression, such as legislation, institutional practices, and cultural narratives, and their effects on TGD youth and their families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Mood reactivity to daily family stressors among transgender and nonbinary parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) parents due to long-standing disparities and disruptions in gender-affirming care. Heightened stress related to stigmatized gender identity during the pandemic may have generalized to additional stressors in their daily family life, such as parental stress and interparental conflict, which in turn may predict TGNB parents’ daily mood. However, little is known about how identity-based stigma relates to TGNB parents’ daily mood responses to family stressors. Using daily diary methods, this study examined whether parental stress and interparental conflict were associated with parental negative mood at both the between-person and within-person levels during the pandemic and whether lifetime gender identity microaggression exposure moderated mood reactivity to these family stressors. Data were drawn from 79 TGNB parents (Mage = 40.61, SD = 9.35; 85.90% White) in the United States who completed a baseline assessment and an 8-day follow-up daily diary survey from May to June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multilevel modeling results showed that both family stressors were associated with parental negative mood at the between-person and within-person levels. Within-person associations were contemporaneous only, with no evidence of prospective next-day effects. Cross-level interactions revealed that lifetime gender identity microaggression exposure attenuated the mood reactivity to interparental conflicts, such that interparental conflict only predicted daily increases in parental negative mood for TGNB parents with lower to moderate lifetime exposure to gender identity microaggressions. These findings identify daily family stress processes as potential intervention targets to support TGNB-parent families’ well-being during public health crises. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Intergenerational stress proliferation in sexual and gender minority families: A stress accumulation model.
Sexual and gender minority families navigate complex stress exposures that span developmental periods and social contexts, including early-life adversity, ongoing discrimination, and minority stress. This study tested competing models of stress accumulation and stress sensitization in a diverse, United States national sample of sexual and gender minority parents (N = 568) with children under the age of 18. Using multivariate distance matrix regression, we examined how parent-reported adverse childhood experiences, everyday discrimination, and internalizing symptoms were associated with multivariate profiles of parent and child mental health. Parent adverse childhood experiences, discrimination, anxiety, and depression were each independently associated with variation in child mental health outcomes, consistent with a stress accumulation model. No interaction effects consistent with stress sensitization emerged. These findings underscore the cumulative impacts of trauma-related stressors in sexual and gender minority families and highlight the utility of person-centered, multivariate methods for capturing co-occurring symptom patterns in intergenerational trauma research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Coming out to parents/caregivers: Qualitatively investigating sexual and gender minority adults’ reflections on less-validating responses.
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) emerging adults develop their identities within family contexts. Identity disclosure or “coming out” is an important part of this process. By better understanding how parents’/caregivers’ responses—particularly less-validating responses—are received by SGM emerging adults, we may better support young adults and their family members during the coming out process and beyond. This qualitative study investigates SGM emerging adults’ perspectives on coming out to their parents/caregivers by (a) characterizing less-validating experiences and (b) elucidating the processes through which parent/caregiver responses lead to SGM emerging adults’ feelings of invalidation and influence the relationship over time. SGM emerging adults (N = 24) from across the United States were interviewed about their experiences coming out to parents/caregivers. Qualitative data were systematically coded and examined using applied thematic analysis. Less-validating responses were characterized by parents’/caregivers’ verbal and nonverbal expressions of emotions like sadness, frustration, and disapproval with the identity and SGM emerging adults’ perceptions of disregard for their preferred timeline for coming out. These perceptions led SGM emerging adults to feel that their own feelings and preferences were decentered, and instead, that parents’/caregivers’ feelings and perceptions were the focus. Less-validating responses led to decreased closeness and sharing within the parent/caregiver–child relationship in the short term. However, relationship dynamics changed over time as this new identity information was incorporated by parents/caregivers. Together, findings suggest that fostering emotion regulation, communication skills, and education on SGM identities within families may be important for supporting SGM emerging adults and their families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Timesheets, tantrums, and trust: Early childhood bedtime routines in a majority Black and Hispanic sample.
Bedtime routines established before the age of 5 are one of the most beneficial practices for children’s sleep and are often used in interventions and recommended by pediatricians. However, for parents experiencing poverty, maintaining a bedtime routine can be challenging due to employment constraints and other factors. Using the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, the present study assessed maternal nonstandard employment (i.e., night, weekend, variable shifts), child externalizing behavior, and maternal social capital as predictors and moderators of bedtime routine use and activities (i.e., physical contact, communication, hygiene, and nutrition) at age 3. The sample included 1,364 children (52.5% boys; Mage = 35.66 months, SD = 2.40 months) and their mothers (Mage = 28.69 years, SD = 6.07 years; 50.04% non-Hispanic Black, 23.88% non-Hispanic White, and 22.26% Hispanic, 3.82% “other”). Results showed that maternal nonstandard employment was associated with a lower probability of using a bedtime routine and communication activities. Higher social capital was also associated with a higher probability of using bedtime routines, hygiene, and communication activities. Mothers with children who show higher levels of externalizing behavior were more likely to have bedtime routines and use hygiene and nutrition activities. Higher levels of social capital eliminated the difference in the probability of using a bedtime routine by employment type. Finally, the positive association between externalizing behavior and communication activity use was only significant for mothers in standard employment. Results illustrate the importance of considering a family’s social context when designing bedtime routine interventions and bedtime activities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Eating together, thriving together: Using common fate modeling to understand youth well-being.
Family meals are widely recognized and studied as a cornerstone of youth well-being. However, the indirect associations linking family meals to youth well-being remain underexplored. The current cross-sectional study examined the family dinner frequency and family environment quality and two primary youth outcomes: youth depressive symptoms and positive youth development. A total of 166 parent-youth dyads (youth Mage = 15.2, SD = 1.35, 51% boys, 47% girls, and 2% nonbinary or transgender; parent Mage = 41.2, SD = 4.83, 36% men, 63% women, and 1% nonbinary) living in the United States completed an online survey in the summer of 2021 or 2022. Using the common fate model, within the structural equation modeling framework, the present study incorporated reports from parents and youth on dinner frequency, family cohesion, and family conflict as dyad-level constructs to test the research aims and examine dyad-level processes. More frequent family dinners were associated with better youth well-being, as indicated by lower depressive symptoms (R² = .186, β = −.33, p < .001) and higher positive youth development (R² = .346, β = .50, p < .001). Moreover, the association between family dinner frequency and youth depressive symptoms was explained by family cohesion (β = −.23, 95% CI [−5.206, −1.276]) and family conflict (β = −.31, 95% CI [−8.710, −1.614]). Similarly, the association of family dinner frequency and positive youth development was explained by family cohesion (β = .25, 95% CI [0.096, 0.326]) and family conflict (β = .27, 95% CI [0.085, 0.501]). Findings suggest that efforts to encourage more frequent family dinners should prioritize not only the frequency of family interactions but also the quality of the interactions during time spent together. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Correlates of youth routine adherence and social support seeking during COVID-19 among Mexican families.
Among Mexican families during the early wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study tested how parental factors such as parental work-related economic stress, marital satisfaction, anxiety, depression, and resilience were associated with youth routine adherence (e.g., maintaining regular bedtimes, mealtimes, and physical activities) and social support seeking via peer interactions through phone calls, texts, and social media. Parent gender was tested as a moderator of relations. Participants were 2,369 Mexican caregivers (89.2% women, Mage = 34.21) with wide socioeconomic backgrounds, who completed online surveys of family functioning during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings indicated variability in adherence to family routines and social support seeking during COVID-19. Less parental depression and greater parental resilience related to children’s routine adherence and both work-related economic stress and lower marital satisfaction were indirectly related to routine adherence via lower depressive symptoms. Less depression, but greater anxiety, was associated with more youth social support seeking in models without marital satisfaction. Again, work-related economic stress was indirectly related to social support seeking via both depression and anxiety. Effects were generally small and parent gender did not moderate any relations. Parents may be gatekeepers for strategies designed to help children cope with stress, and parenting variables—most notably parental depression and broader stressors in the work and marital domains—appear to relate to how youth coped with stress in Mexico during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Family meals and behavioral development: The role of feeding strategies and mealtime emotional climate.
This study explores the associations between consistent family mealtime schedules, parental and child control of food intake at 24 months, and children’s internalizing and externalizing (EXT) symptoms at 36 months. Data were drawn from an observational cohort of 300 parent–child dyads, with analyses conducted on 270 families for whom complete data were available. Using both observational assessments and caregiver reports, we examined whether mealtime consistency and feeding strategies predicted internalizing and EXT symptoms, with the family’s emotional climate during mealtimes as a potential moderator. Internalizing and EXT symptoms were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and family climate was coded from videos of family meals in the child’s home at 24 months. Linear regression analyses, adjusting for gestational age, maternal education, race, and income, revealed that consistent family mealtime schedules were inversely associated with EXT symptoms at 36 months (β = −0.27, p < .05). Consistent mealtime schedules predicted lower EXT symptoms when mealtime emotional climate was high-quality (β = −0.58, p = .0003) but not when it was low-quality (β = 0.10, p = .56). These findings suggest that structured mealtime schedules, combined with warm, positive family interactions, may foster emotional security and support behavioral regulation in early childhood. Given the scarcity of observational studies on home mealtime environments, this study provides valuable insights into how family meals influence child behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Couples’ experiences of grandparenthood: Grandchild-related bliss and psychological well-being.
Building on family systems theory and lifespan views on aging, the present study investigates how the experiences of grandchild-related bliss (i.e., the subjective fulfillment and joy of having a grandchild) are related to grandparental couples’ partnership-related and general well-being. We hypothesized both (a) actor effects (i.e., a grandparent’s grandchild-related bliss is positively associated with this grandparent’s well-being) and (b) partner effects (i.e., a grandparent’s grandchild-related bliss is positively associated with the partner’s well-being). We used the actor-partner interdependence model to distinguish these kinds of effects. The data were collected at two measurement time points, which were 4 weeks apart. The sample consisted of 163 heterosexual grandparental couples who cohabited and had a first grandchild (up to 8 years old). No actor effects were found for grandmothers. However, the grandfather’s grandchild-related bliss was associated with the grandmother’s reports on relationship quality and meaning in life (partner effects). For grandfathers, grandchild-related bliss was positively associated with their relationship quality, satisfaction with life, and meaning in life (actor effects). Unexpectedly, the grandmother’s grandchild-related bliss was negatively associated with the grandfather’s relationship quality (partner effect). These findings provide new insights into the gendered family experiences of grandparents and expand our knowledge regarding the psychological well-being of older romantic couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Changes in parent–grandparent relationship quality and links with parents’ distress throughout the transition to parenthood.
The transition to parenthood marks an important turning point for parent–grandparent dyads, as parents’ needs for grandparental support increase and grounds for both emotional closeness and conflict arise. Guided by a life-course perspective, this study investigated changes in parent-perceived emotional closeness and conflict between parents and grandparents throughout the transition to parenthood, as well as linkages with parental symptoms of anxiety and depression. Longitudinal biannual questionnaire data of 385 Dutch first-time parents (37.9% male) covering several years before and after the birth of a first child were analyzed using piecewise latent growth models. The results indicated an average decrease in emotional closeness and no change in conflict posttransition, which differed significantly from the stability in emotional closeness and decline in conflict found pretransition. On average, mothers and fathers did not differ in their perceptions of parent–grandparent relationships, and the associations between relationship quality and symptoms of distress were mostly evident at intercept. After the transition, parents who reported less decrease in closeness with grandparents tended to experience a stronger decrease in depressive symptoms, but not anxiety symptoms. These findings were interpreted in the context of parental expectations, gender norms, individual variability, and methodological limitations. Future studies should examine the temporal ordering of the changing dynamics between parents and grandparents during this key life transition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Risk and resilience from early to middle childhood in three-generation families: Grandmother coresidence stability matters.
Coresidential three-generation families are becoming increasingly prevalent, but the contribution of grandparent coresidence stability during early childhood is poorly understood. Informed by the process-person-context-time theory, this study links grandmothers’ behavioral health risk and mothers’ psychopathology to child psychopathology (i.e., total internalizing and externalizing problems). We hypothesized mediation pathways through maternal psychological and physical aggression and tested grandmother coresidential stability as a moderator. A nationally representative sample of three-generation families was selected from the Future of Families and Child Well-Being Study. Most mothers in the sample were Black or Hispanic, single, young, and living in low-income households. Based on grandmother coresidence stability from Year 3 to Year 5, families were divided into a disrupted (N = 248) and continued (N = 189) group. Multigroup structural equation modeling results showed similar and unique pathways across the groups. Similarly, in both groups, grandmothers’ behavioral health risk at Year 3 was related to maternal physical aggression at Year 5, whereas maternal psychopathology at Year 3 was related to maternal psychological aggression at Year 5. Uniquely in the disrupted group, but not in the continued group, evidence was found on the intergenerational transmission of psychopathology: maternal psychopathology at Year 3 had a direct link to children’s psychopathology at Year 9, and this was also mediated by psychological aggression at Year 5. These findings demonstrate the heterogeneity of multigenerational families and emphasize developmental implications for risk and resilience. Grandmother coresidential stability appears to have a protective role for young children’s socioemotional development in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>A grounded theory study of different-gender married parents as gatekeepers in intergenerational relationships with religious differences.
Over the past decades, an increasing number of adults in the United States have begun identifying as nonreligious, despite many being raised in religious homes. Research has demonstrated that religious disaffiliation and religious differences can create relational distance and challenges in families. However, little research has explored these impacts on intergenerational relationships. With parents’ perspectives as a focal point, given their role as gatekeepers between their children and their children’s grandparents, we employed a grounded theory approach to the analysis of in-depth interviews with 29 nonreligious different-gender married couples (N = 58 parents), through which we identified four broad themes related to religious differences in intergenerational relationships: (a) engaging in familial religious traditions, (b) religious boundaries with family of origin, (c) children’s upbringing as a point of conflict, and (d) children as a relational bridge. Based on connections between these themes, we developed the first (to our knowledge) conceptual model of how nonreligious parents navigate religious differences and intergenerational relationships, titled the Structure of the Influence of Religious Differences on Intergenerational Relationships model. Implications focused on helping families navigate religious differences both through and independent of therapeutic contexts are offered in light of this model. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Residential moves in the early years of marriage: Stressor or normative transition?
During the early years of marriage, couples will frequently move to a new residence, a transition experienced as stressful by most people. Three theoretical perspectives offer competing predictions about how residential moves may account for changes in marital satisfaction. To the extent that stress generally harms intimacy, couples who move may experience declines in satisfaction relative to those who remain in place. Yet, because moving is a common and normative stressor, couples may generally manage their experience of moving without ill effects. Alternatively, the effect of moving on satisfaction may depend on why couples are moving, the outcomes of the move, and the resources available to manage the stress. Evidence for these perspectives was evaluated with data from two independent samples of first-married newlywed couples sampled from lower income neighborhoods and interviewed multiple times over several years (total N = 662 couples). Preregistered analyses found no evidence that moving was negatively associated with couples’ satisfaction concurrently or longitudinally. Apart from a few instances, there was scant evidence for significant moderators. These results suggest that moving may indeed be a normative transition that couples generally navigate well during the early years of marriage. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>How spousal, friend, and family ties predict health: Within- and between-person effects across 16 years.
Relationships with spouses, family, and friends influence health, yet their effects are often assessed separately. Relationship quality fluctuates over time, and while some couples effectively navigate these ups and downs, others may experience stress and strain. Guided by dyadic stress and support frameworks, we examined how positive and negative spousal, friend, and family ties contribute to subjective health within and across the first 16 years of marriage. We took a within-person approach to examine how ties beyond couples’ marriages protect or wear on health, particularly in the years with more marital troubles. Both partners from 373 newlywed couples (199 Black American and 174 White American couples) participated in a longitudinal study and completed questionnaires in Years 1, 3, 7, and 16 of marriage. Dyadic multilevel models showed those with greater spousal responsiveness, lower marital distress, and lower family tension had better subjective health. Husbands’ greater family support and lower family tension did not compensate for the negative health effects of low spousal responsiveness, but spousal responsiveness compensated for husbands’ less supportive or more tense families. For wives, the combination of both lower spousal responsiveness and family support predicted poorer subjective health, on average, meanwhile wives reported the best health in the years with both more spousal responsiveness and family support. Thus, husbands’ spousal ties were more health protective than family ties, whereas wives’ health was connected to both spousal and family ties—for better or worse. These findings illustrate gendered health effects in the early to middle years of marriage. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Attachment insecurities interact with caregiving and sexuality to predict relationship satisfaction in first-time parents.
Few studies have examined how new parents adjust to the daily challenges of the transition to parenthood. Attachment theory posits that the combined workings of the attachment, caregiving, and sexual systems underlie relationship quality. This theory could clarify why some new parents struggle more than others in their daily efforts to navigate the transition to parenthood. This dyadic study’s aim was to investigate the moderating roles of daily perceived partner support and sexual satisfaction in the associations between prenatal attachment and daily relationship satisfaction in the early postpartum period. A sample of 195 new parent couples answered online questionnaires during the second trimester of pregnancy (prenatal attachment-related anxiety and avoidance), followed by 14 daily diaries at 4 months postpartum (daily perceived partner support, sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction). Actor and partner effects were examined with multilevel moderation analyses. Results revealed negative direct associations between both prenatal attachment insecurities and postpartum relationship satisfaction, whereas postpartum sexual satisfaction and partner support each showed positive direct associations with relationship satisfaction. Four moderation effects of sexual satisfaction emerged in the associations between prenatal attachment insecurities and daily relationship satisfaction. One’s own higher sexual satisfaction buffered the negative role of one’s attachment avoidance and anxiety, whereas one’s partner sexual satisfaction did not confer this protective effect. Partner support moderated the association between attachment-related avoidance and relationship satisfaction. These results highlight the importance of exploring partners’ attachment orientations and needs and of routinely monitoring perceived support and sexual satisfaction when working with couples welcoming their first child. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>Examining relationship quality dimensions in couples raising autistic and nonautistic children.
Although there is a public perception that couples raising autistic children experience lower relationship quality, the existing body of research is inconsistent and focuses almost exclusively on couple conflict and relationship satisfaction. The present study extended prior research by comparing multiple dimensions of relationship quality between couples raising a child on the autism spectrum (n = 108) and couples raising a nonautistic child (n = 109). Couples were recruited from across the United States and fathers and mothers individually reported on their relationship quality (i.e., couple conflict, communication style, relationship satisfaction, power dynamics, intimacy, and dyadic coping) and participated in a virtually observed conflict interaction. Results indicated that parents of autistic and nonautistic children were not significantly different on any measure of relationship quality. Overall, mothers reported lower relationship satisfaction compared to fathers. The results of the study highlight the importance of focusing on individual differences within parents rather than differences between parents of autistic and nonautistic children. A notable strength of the study was a diverse sample in the United States. Implications for couples therapy and relationship education are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
Publication date: Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Access the article >>