Parental Status, Social Support, and Marital Adjustment

This study examined the relation between parental status and marital adjustment of employed individuals. The sample consisted of 91 individuals—47 employed wives and 44 employed husbands. This study found that men with children reported higher levels of marital adjustment compared to men without children and women with and without children. Overall, women with children reported lower levels of marital adjustment compared to women without children and men with and without children. The study also investigated the potential moderating effects of social support on the relation between parental status and marital adjustment. As expected, women with children who reported lower social support were more vulnerable to lower marital adjustment than were other groups of women. Level of social support was not a moderator for men. It also was found that affective support had moderating effects, but no such effects were evident for instrumental support.