Relationship between parental marital adjustment and depression, anxiety and stress among their late adolescent children

Abstract

The present study was aimed at examining the relationship between parental marital adjustment and depression, anxiety and stress among their late adolescent children. The respondents in the study were married couples and their children in their late adolescent stage who are between the age group of 17-21 years, pursuing academic courses. This is a survey study and the Ex-Post facto research design was adopted. The tools used for the study were Marital adjustment questionnaire by Kumar P. & Rohatgi K.(1976) to identify couples who have high or low marital adjustment and DASS by Lovibond, S.H. & Lovibond, P.F (1995) to measure the negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and stress. Findings reveal Parents did experience lower levels of marital adjustment. It was also found that children experienced moderate level of depression, severe level of anxiety and mild level of stress. Parents of boys experienced lower levels of marital adjustment. Children of mothers who were not working experienced higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress when they had lower levels of marital adjustment. The results revealed that lower the parents’ marital adjustment higher their children’s depression, anxiety and stress. Marital adjustment of parents predicted 31% of stress, 36% of anxiety and 37% of depression.