This conceptual review summarizes two decades of research on conflict management behaviors and their implications for family functioning. We review the accumulated research on the impact of three common conflict resolution strategiesdestructive interparental conflict, constructive interparental conflict, and intimate partner violenceon parenting and parent-child relationships, including child abuse. Our review is based on published peer-reviewed articles that include families with minor children of various ethnic and racial compositions and diverse family forms. We also provide a brief overview of the literature covering correlates of specific conflict management behaviors and comment on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of intervention Statement of Relevance: This updated review yields process-related insights. Prior research mainly conceptualized conflict in negative, narrow termswith correspondingly harmful outcomes. More recent work suggests that the impacts of conflict are shaped by how it is handled by adults and perceived by children. This review sheds light on correlates of negative conflictincluding verbal and physical conflict. It also highlights emerging evidence on the implications of constructive conflict and provides recommendations for future research.

Understanding risk factors for relationship dissolution and poor relationship adjustment among couples has been an active area of research in relationship science. One risk factor, non-marital cohabitation, has shown to predict higher rates of relationship dissolution and relationship instability in some samples, but the associations among German parents with children over time are less clear. In this study, we examined the links between non-marital cohabitation and 10-year outcomes (relationship dissolution, relationship adjustment over time, and child internalizing and externalizing symptoms) in 220 German families with preschool-aged children at the initial assessment followed into adolescence. Families were assessed 7 times over the 10 years and retention at the 10-year follow-up was over 92%. After accounting for multiple testing, only mother’s report of better initial interparental communication predicted whether parents were likely to stay together over the course of the 10 years. Adolescents of parents who cohabited were at higher risk for externalizing symptoms 10 years later compared to children of married parents. In addition, although there were no differences between cohabiting couples and married couples at the initial assessment in relationship adjustment, cohabiting mothers who stayed with their partner over the 10 years showed significantly greater declines in relationship adjustment over the 10 years compared to married mothers. Findings indicate the need for further research that explores family structure and dynamics over time to inform refinement of prevention programs targeting relationships and children’s mental health.

The quality of close family relationships can affect the health and well-being of older adults. Further, research suggests that relationships between grandparents and adult grandchildren can have a positive impact on the lives of each generation, particularly regarding social and emotional support. Social engagement technologies may provide new opportunities for older adults to foster and maintain family relationships, including those between grandparents and adult grandchildren. The current cross-sectional study examined associations between the use of social engagement technologies and health and well-being outcomes in 177 younger adults (M = 26.67, SD = 7.83; 81.4% female) and 202 older adults (M = 71.09, SD = 8.17; 77.8% female). Social technology use was assessed through five mediums that are used to enhance social connectivity (e.g., e-mail, social network sites, online video or phone calls, instant messaging, and smartphones). Higher use of social engagement technologies was associated with better self-rated health, subjective well-being, and social support among younger and older adults. Interestingly, social technology use was associated with less depressive symptoms only for older adults (r=-.26, p<.05). There was, however, no correlation between social technology use and loneliness at the bivariate level. Of all five media, only smartphone use was correlated with more positive evaluations of the grandparent-grandchild relationship. After controlling for age, both grandparent-grandchild relationship quality and social technology use were associated with better self-rated health, subjective well-being, and social support for grandparents and adult grandchildren. Key messages Taken together, these findings indicate the need for a nuanced perspective on the benefits of social engagement technologies. More research is needed to explore the use case for social engagement technologies among older adults and their family members.

Background Older adults often face problems with social isolation, which is a risk factor for poorer mental and physical health. New forms of social technologies (e.g., WhatsApp) provide opportunities to facilitate social connectedness with family members. Understanding older adults’ behaviors and perceptions related to digital communication tools can inform the development of interventions to increase the adoption of these tools for social communication. This study aims to evaluate attitudes and barriers to as well as facilitators of social technology reported by grandparents and grandchildren. The secondary aim is to examine the associations between social technology use and health and well-being outcomes and to identify what factors mediate the use of social technology. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 144 grandchildren (Mage=26.53, SD = 9.17; 81.9% female) were recruited through student mailing lists. Grandparents were invited either through their grandchild or by the research team and recruitment is expected to be completed by September 2019. Three main groups of variables were examined: health and well-being outcomes, social support related outcomes and social technology related outcomes. Results & Conclusions Grandchildren reported very positive attitudes toward social technology as expected. Greater social technology use was associated with better psychological (r =.26, p =.002) and subjective well-being (rs =.20, p =.023), higher psychosocial flourishing (r =.41, p <.001), social support (rs =.22, p =.009) and social connectedness (r =.39, p <.001). Social technology use was not correlated with health, the grandparent-grandchild relationship, loneliness and depression at the bivariate level. Barriers to social technology are security concerns, threat to privacy and constant availability. Facilitators include increased contact, dealing with geographic boundaries and information seeking. Results from grandparents will also be presented. Key messages Social technology has potential to enhance older adults’ lives by facilitating better family relationships, building social support, reducing loneliness and through this improve health and well-being. More research is needed in this area to understand benefits or potential harms and dynamics between younger family members and older adults in use of social technology.