Single-Parent Families: Child Psychiatric Disorder and School Performance

Data from the Ontario Child Health Study were used to examine the association between single-parent family status and child psychiatric disorder and poor school performance. Bivariate results indicate that children of single-parent families are at a small hut statistically significant increased risk for poor outcome. These same families, however, experience severe economic and social hardship. When variables indicative of hardship, such as poverty and family dysfunction, are controlled for in a multivariate analysis, the relationship between single-parent family status and childhood psychiatric disorder and poor school performance becomes statistically nonsignificant. The implications of these findings are discussed.