Family Well-Being

Prepared by: Erica Meade and Linda Mellgren The views expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Youth from low-income families are vulnerable to poor outcomes as adults, as these youth often lack the resources and opportunities found to lead to better outcomes.

The overall purpose of this report is to show how marital quality, strengths, and/or interpersonal protective factors work to enhance the probability that children will do better among families where strengths are higher. Additionally, we reviewed the research about parental marital quality and child outcomes and showed how those two constructs are connected.

The purpose of this research brief is to explain the relationship context of adolescents who live in married couple families. Specifically, the marital quality of the adolescents' biological parents (and step-parents) is assessed by examining how supportive and conflict behaviors combine within the couple relationship.

  ASPE RESEARCH BRIEF(*) The Impact of Marital and Relationship Status on Social Outcomes for Returning Prisoners January 2009 This Research Brief is available on the Internet at:http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/09/Marriage&Reentry/rb.shtml

This is the second of two briefs that examine the interplay between education and skills-building programming for lower income individuals and families in the areas of marriage and relationships, financial literacy, and asset development.

ABOUT THIS ISSUE BRIEF