Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development was used to address how cohabitation of unmarried 2-biological-parent families is associated with characteristics of young children's family environment using longitudinal assessments of maternal depression and observed parenting sensitivity collected across the child's first 2 years and mothers' reports of couple relationship conflict and ambivalence. We compared 43 cohabiting 2-biological-parent families and 877 married 2-biological-parent families, all of whom had stable relationships over the child's first 2 years. Demographic factors of lower parental education, non-White race/ethnicity, and low income characterized the cohabiting parents, in comparison with married parents. After controlling for these demographic differences, we found that stably cohabiting mothers reported more depressive symptoms and were less sensitive with their child than were married mothers. Cohabiting couple relationships were characterized by more ambivalence and conflict, each of which partially mediated associations of cohabitation with maternal depression and parenting sensitivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective. The authors assessed positive and negative qualities of mothers' and fathers' marital interaction behavior in relation to each parent's observed parenting sensitivity, applying the actor-partner interdependence model. Marital behaviors expressed (actor effects) and marital behaviors experienced (partner effects) were distinguished to explore spillover processes between marriage and parenting for mothers and fathers. Design. Positive and negative marital interaction behaviors of 70 mothers and fathers were rated from observations of a discussion task when children were in first grade. Parental sensitivity was represented by a latent factor derived from observational ratings of mother-child and father-child interactions in Grades 1, 3, and 5. Results. Experiences of marital hostility and marital withdrawal from their spouse undermined mothers' and fathers' parenting sensitivity (partner effects), controlling for each parent's own marital behaviors (actor effects) and each parent's psychological adjustment. Expressed supportive marital behavior was positively related to mothers' and fathers' own parenting sensitivity (actor effects), controlling for marital behaviors experienced and the parent's psychological adjustment. Conclusions. Partner effects for negative marital behaviors and actor effects for positive marital behaviors insinuate associations between marriage and parenting. Predictions from marital qualities to parenting are similar for mothers and fathers.

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We assessed pathways linking attachment and depression in college students (N = 190) to investigate the interplay of mediators, namely, social support and simultaneous engagement in positive and negative religious coping. Moderated serial mediation models revealed directions in which attachment predicted perceptions of social support, which then predicted negative religious coping and depression. Positive religious coping partially buffered detrimental effects of negative religious coping but could not completely offset the link to depression. Counselor implications are identified.