Does child care involvement increase or decrease distress among dual-earner couples?

Abstract

This study addressed how parents' relative involvement in child care is related to marital-role quality and psychological distress. These relationships were examined in a random sample of 133 mothers and fathers in dual-earner couples. Regression analyses employing hierarchical linear modeling techniques indicated that the more fathers participated in child care relative to their wives, the lower the father's distress. For mothers, the effect of child care involvement was complex: Although there were psychological benefits to spending proportionally more time involved in child care (lowered distress), these benefits were offset by a decrease in marital-role quality, which in turn increased distress. These findings indicate that the relation between child care involvement and the psychological health of both women and men in dual-earner couples is intertwined and complex.