Dyadic support in stepfamilies: Buffering against depressive symptoms among more and less experienced stepparents.

Abstract

Stepparenting is a common but stressful experience that has been linked to depressive symptoms. This study examines the associations among years of experience stepparenting, support, and validation from three sources-partner, the children's other biological parent (i.e., the spouse's ex-partner), and stepchildren-and depressive symptoms. Participants included 125 stepparents (84 female) recruited online. Using cross-sectional data, findings suggested that although support and validation from all three sources were associated with fewer depressive symptoms, when included in a single model, partner support emerged as the only significant predictor. Partner support was most associated with lower symptoms in the early years of stepparenting, highlighting the particular importance of partners' facilitation and support while the family is still adjusting to its new structure.

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