A decade ago we published a book reporting an extensive analysis of nationwide panel data from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) project showing impacts of post-high school experiences on substance use (Bachman, Wadsworth, O'Malley, Johnston, & Schulenberg, 1997). One of the most important findings was that various categories of marital status,…

Understanding attitudes toward marriage at older ages is increasingly important as young adults delay marriage and large numbers of people return to the marriage market after divorce. This study examines age differences in the desire to marry among singles age 18 to 69 years, taking into account selection into marriage. Using data drawn from the…

Administered demographic questionnaire and measure of ego development to 16 unmarried adolescent mothers and 14 older married mothers. Found that adolescents had significantly higher incidence of divorce in families of origin, lower mean length of relationship with partner prior to pregnancy, and lower stages of ego development. (Author/NB)

Investigated adolescent future time perspective in adolescents (N=125) aged 15 to 20 years. Found adolescents did not perceive divorce in their future although periods of singlehood, widowhood, and nuclear family life were perceived as extremely likely, particularly among female adolescents. (Author/ABL)

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) includes questions to assess serious psychological distress (SPD) and substance use. SPD is an overall indicator of nonspecific psychological distress. This report examines serious psychological distress and substance use among young adult males aged 18 to 25, a relatively understudied group with…

Study 1 found that subjective well-being was negatively associated with marital conflict among offspring of never-divorced and remarried parents. Study 2 found that the negative association of divorce and of marital conflict with the life satisfaction of the offspring did not differ for adopted young adults. (Author/MKA)

This report presents detailed information on the marital status and living arrangements of the noninstitutional population of the United States by age, sex, race, and Spanish origin. The text of this report compares the mid-decade census estimates based on the March, 1985 "Current Population Survey" with the survey data from 1980, 1970, and 1960.…

Examined in this document are the prevalence of early marriage and childbearing, and the relationship of early marriage and childbearing to divorce and separation. The report focuses on three hypotheses: (1) that marriage between young, unprepared teenagers ends more frequently in divorce regardless of the presence or absence of a child; (2) that…

Examines whether the rising percentage of unmarried adults would affect the level of social support between adult children and their parents. The only major effect found was for coresidence. Neither divorced children in general nor divorced daughters or divorced single parents in particular posed a special burden to parents. (RJM)