The relationship of child adjustment to husbands' and wives' marital distress, perceived family conflict, and mothers' occupational status.

Measures of marital distress, perceived family conflict, and child adjustment were obtained from 74 pairs of husbands and wives with at least one child age 6 to 12 in order to determine the relationship between wives' occupational status, marital distress, family conflict, and child adjustment. Results revealed a strong and significant relationship between husbands' and wives' perceived family conflict and child maladjustment. No significant main effects or interactions were found between mothers' occupational status, or husbands' or wives' marital distress and child adjustment. The results support the downward extension to children of the previously reported relationship between perceived family conflict and adolescent adjustment.