The Impact of Children With Chronic Health Problems on Marriage

The authors examined the impact of having a child with a chronic illness or handicapping condition on marital quality and on perceived marital stability. Using data from the National Study of Families and Households (NSFH), married parents caring for a child with a chronic illness or disability (n = 94) were contrasted with married parents of well children (n = 3,693). Data were analyzed using ordinary least squares regression. Neither marital quality nor perceived marital stability differed between the two groups. These results call into question assumptions that children with special needs irreparably harm marriages.