City Research Online

Abstract

Research Question
What are the psychological outcomes for parents and children in elective co-parenting families and do these differ based on whether or not parents met online?

Design
This cross-sectional study provides novel descriptive quantitative data on the wellbeing of parents and children within 23 elective co-parent families, defined as two or more parents deciding to have and raise children together outside of a romantic partnership or conjugal couple relationship. Standardised questionnaires were administered to assess parent and child psychological adjustment. Bayesian independent t-tests were conducted to compare the parent and child outcomes in 13 families who met online via a connection website with 10 families who were co-parenting with someone known to them.

Results
Elective co-parent scores for depression, anxiety, parenting stress, resilience, perceived social support and couple relationship satisfaction were within the normal range. Children's average competencies, behavioural and emotional problem scores were low risk when compared with population norms. Bayes factors suggest no support for the alternative hypothesis that there were differences in parent or child wellbeing between the families who met via connection sites versus those already known.

Conclusions
Parents and children in elective co-parent families are functioning well regardless of how they were formed, but individuals may require tailored professional advice or support for this growing new route to parenthood. Future longitudinal work with larger samples is required to replicate these findings, explore children's perspectives of their families as well as the support needs of co-parents and their children throughout their parenting journey.

Publication Type:	Article
Publisher Keywords:	co-parenting, connective website, parent psychological health, child adjustment, social support, couple relationship, stigma
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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