INFORMATION

Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.

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  • Director: Laura E. Gómez Sánchez
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Custody and Child Symptomatology in High Conflict Divorce: An Analysis of Latent Profiles

Ana Martínez-Pampliega1, Marta Herrero1, Susana Cormenzana1, Susana Corral1, Mireia Sanz2, Laura Merino1, Leire Iriarte1, Iñigo Ochoa de Alda3, Leire Alcañiz1, and Irati Alvarez2

1 University of Deusto,
2 University School of Education, and
3 University of the Basque Country

Background: There is much controversy about the impact of joint physical custody on child symptomatology in the context of high interparental conflict. In this study we  analyzed child symptomatology with person-centered methodology, identifying differential profiles, considering post-divorce custody, parental symptomatology, and coparenting variables.  We examined the association between these profiles and child symptomatology, as well as the mediating role of parenting in that association. Method: The participants were 303 divorced or separated Spanish parents with high interparental conflict. We used the study of latent profiles and the INDIRECT procedure in Mplus. We also controlled for the variables age and number of children, new partners, frequency of the relationship with the ex-partner, time elapsed since the divorce, and gender of the parent. Results: From the parents´ perspective, the profile characterized by low parental symptomatology and high coparenting, regardless of the type of custody, was related to children exhibiting less somatic, anxious, and depressive symptomatology, and aggressive behavior. The mediating role of parenting was also identified. Conclusions: Parental symptomatology, coparenting, and parenting are essential for understanding post-divorce child symptomatology and the study highlights  importance of person-centered multidimensional models.

Custodia y Sintomatología de los Hijos en Divorcios Altamente Conflictivos: Análisis de Perfiles Latentes. Antecedentes: existe una gran controversia acerca del impacto de la custodia física compartida en la sintomatología infantil en contexto de alto conflicto interparental. El presente estudio analizó la sintomatología infantil a través de una metodología centrada en la persona, identificando perfiles diferenciales al considerar las variables custodia postdivorcio, sintomatología parental y coparentalidad. Se analizó la asociación entre estos perfiles y la sintomatología infantil, así como el papel mediador de la parentalidad. Método: participaron 303 progenitores españoles divorciados o separados con alto conflicto interparental. Se empleó el estudio de perfiles latentes y el procedimiento INDIRECT Mplus, controlando las variables edad, número de hijos/as, nuevas parejas estables, frecuencia de relación entre progenitores, tiempo transcurrido desde el divorcio y género del/a progenitor/a. Resultados: desde la perspectiva de los progenitores, el perfil caracterizado por baja sintomatología parental y alta coparentalidad, independientemente del tipo de custodia, se relacionó con menor sintomatología somática y ansioso-depresiva de hijos/as, y con menor comportamiento agresivo. Se confirmó el papel mediador de la parentalidad. Conclusiones: se identifica la sintomatología parental, la coparentalidad y la parentalidad como variables fundamentales para comprender la sintomatología infantil postdivorcio, así como la relevancia de emplear modelos multidimensionales centrados en la persona.

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