Stepparent-Child Relationships and Child Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

An inclusive conceptualization of "family" can enable family-serving systems and professionals to leverage high-quality family relationships, wherever they are found, to support the health and well-being of individuals. Stepfamilies are an especially common family form with distinct needs and experiences, and stepparent-child relationships can take on a variety of functions with implications for family stability and individual well-being. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize empirical associations between stepparent-child relationships and child outcomes. General findings from 56 studies highlighted significant associations between several dimensions of stepparent-child relationships and children's psychological, behavioral, social, academic, and physical well-being. Meta-analytic findings from 68 effect-size estimates further substantiated significant and positive associations between stepparent-child relationship quality and child psychological well-being (mean r = .25) and academic well-being (mean r = .23), as well as significant and negative associations between stepparent-child relationship quality and child psychological problems (mean r = -.23) and behavioral problems (mean r = -.19).