Family contexts and adolescents’ emotional status

Children’s living arrangements have become increasingly diverse and complex in recent decades: a significant proportion of children reside in step-families or in separated one-parent families, even in countries such as Italy, which only recently are undergoing a transition from traditional to less traditional family behaviours. The present study explores whether adolescents living in families which are the result of sepration or divorce have lower levels of psychological well-being than those living in more traditional families, and whether this possible effect of family structure is influenced by family resources (parental socio-economic circumstances and parental health). These issues are investigated using data from a national representative survey conducted in Italy in 2005. Results suggest that adolescents living in non-traditional families are not necessarily at higher risk of emotional suffering than others. Only adolescents who live in step-families show a lower level of emotional well-being than those living in two-biological-parent families, and this effect is not mediated by family resources.