Mental health of children from divided families.

Most divorce literature found negative effects for children, yet recent research implies psychosocial-economic determinants are more problematic for the development of mental illness, with positive outcomes for some children. Unmarried unions are excluded from past research, and northern rural issues are absent from the limited Canadian studies. This study combines quantitative and qualitative approaches in the content analysis of case files at a children's mental health centre in northern British Columbia. ... A high prevalence of children from separated parents was found, yet adjustment was the only mental health problem significantly associated with this group, with few gender differences. Single mother households and blended families, experiencing multiple stressors, were common. --P.ii.