Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Preventing Mental Health Problems in Children After High Conflict Parental Separation/Divorce Study: An Optimization
Karey L O'Hara1, Sharlene A Wolchik1, Irwin N Sandler1
1Arizona State University.
Insights
Children exposed to high interparental conflict after divorce can improve coping skills through targeted interventions. This study tests reappraisal, distraction, and relaxation techniques to enhance children's emotional security and mental health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Parental divorce impacts over a million U.S. children annually, with high interparental conflict (IPC) posing significant mental health risks.
- Children's emotional security and coping efficacy are key mediators between IPC exposure and negative mental health consequences.
- Existing coping interventions lack testing for children experiencing high post-divorce IPC, and individual component effects on coping and mental health remain unassessed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the mechanisms by which coping intervention components influence children's responses to interparental relationship dynamics.
- To assess the main and interactive effects of reappraisal, distraction, and relaxation on children's coping and mental health.
- To identify effective intervention components for a subsequent evaluation phase randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Main Methods:
- A 2^3 factorial experiment involving 144 children aged 9-12, randomly assigned to eight combinations of three intervention components (reappraisal, distraction, relaxation) with presence/absence levels.
- The study employs an intensive longitudinal design to track intervention effects.
- Outcomes include child-reported emotional security and coping efficacy (primary) and internalizing/externalizing problems (secondary).
Main Results:
- The study is designed as an optimization phase RCT to inform a larger effectiveness trial.
- Data will reveal which intervention components and combinations most effectively enhance children's coping and mental health.
- Results will guide the selection of components for a multi-component intervention in a subsequent RCT.
Conclusions:
- Targeted coping interventions hold promise for mitigating the negative mental health effects of interparental conflict on children post-divorce.
- Understanding the specific effects of intervention components is crucial for developing effective, evidence-based strategies.
- This research will lay the groundwork for a more comprehensive intervention to support children's adaptation to parental separation.
Abstract:
Parental divorce is a childhood stressor that affects approximately 1.1 million children in the U.S. annually. The children at greatest risk for deleterious mental health consequences are those exposed to high interparental conflict (IPC) following the separation/divorce. Research shows that children's emotional security and coping efficacy mediate the impact of IPC on their mental health. Interventions targeting their adaptive coping in response to IPC events may bolster their emotional security and coping efficacy. However, existing coping interventions have not been tested with children exposed to high post-separation/divorce IPC, nor has any study assessed the effects of individual intervention components on children's coping with IPC and their mental health. This intensive longitudinal intervention study examines the mechanisms through which coping intervention components impact children's responses to interactions in interparental relationships. A 23 factorial experiment will assess whether, and to what extent, three candidate intervention components demonstrate main and interactive effects on children's coping and mental health. Children aged 9-12 (target N = 144) will be randomly assigned to one of eight combinations of three components with two levels each: (1) reappraisal (present vs. absent), (2) distraction (present vs. absent), (3) relaxation (present vs. absent). The primary outcomes are child-report emotional security and coping efficacy at one-month post-intervention. Secondary outcomes include internalizing and externalizing problems at the three-month follow-up. Based on data from this optimization phase RCT, intervention components will be selected to comprise a multi-component intervention and assessed for effectiveness in a subsequent evaluation phase RCT.
