The impact of co-parenting on children: how shared parenting affects child development and mental health in Vhembe District Municipality, South Africa

Pfarelo Nwanamidwa; Talifhani Trevor Ramatswi

doi:10.36096/ijbes.v7i4.888

Authors

Pfarelo Nwanamidwa University of Venda https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6912-2901
Talifhani Trevor Ramatswi University of Venda https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7938-4059

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36096/ijbes.v7i4.888

Keywords:

Coparenting, Parenting Styles, Coping Mechanisms, Mental Health, Child Development

Abstract

This study explores the impact of coparenting on child development and mental health in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The research aims to examine the relationship between coparenting quality and child development outcomes, with a specific focus on child mental health. A quantitative research design was employed, involving a sample of 150 parents or primary caregivers of children aged 5 to 18 years. The data was collected through questionnaires to assess coparenting dynamics, parenting styles, and child behavioural outcomes. The main findings of the study demonstrate that (i) cooperative coparenting relationships and positive parenting styles are crucial for promoting healthy child development and mental health outcomes, (ii) conflict in coparenting relationships is a significant concern, with a substantial proportion of participants reporting moderate to high conflict levels, and (iii) the coping mechanisms employed by parents and caregivers, such as talking to the child and encouraging physical activity, are effective in supporting child well-being. The study's findings have significant implications for practice and policy, emphasizing the importance of promoting healthy coparenting relationships, positive parenting styles, and effective coping mechanisms to support child development and mental health.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Pfarelo Nwanamidwa, University of Venda

Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Venda, Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Agriculture.

Talifhani Trevor Ramatswi, University of Venda

Department of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Venda, Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education.

References

Ambros, T., Coltro, B. P., Vieira, M. L., & Lopes, F. M. (2022). Co-parenting and child behavior in the context of divorce: A systematic review. Psicologia: Teoria e Prática, 24(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.5935/1980-6906/ePTPHD14268.en DOI: https://doi.org/10.5935/1980-6906/ePTPHD14268.en

Ani, N. C. (2024). The impact of family dynamics on children’s mental health: Systematic review. Nigerian Journal of Arts and Humanities (NJAH), 4(2).

Bai, X., Chen, M., He, R., & Xu, T. (2023). Toward an integrative framework of intergenerational co-parenting within family systems: A scoping review. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 15(1), 78–117. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12478 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12478

Bhalla, S., Bahar, N., & Kanapathy, K. (2023). Pre-testing semi-structured interview questions using expert review and cognitive interview methods. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(5), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.26666/rmp.ijbm.2023.5.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26666/rmp.ijbm.2023.5.2

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative Psychology, 9(1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000196 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000196

Campbell, C. G. (2023). Two decades of co-parenting research: A scoping review. Marriage & Family Review, 59(6), 379–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2022.2152520 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2022.2152520

Carlson, G. A., Singh, M. K., Amaya-Jackson, L., Benton, T. D., Althoff, R. R., Bellonci, C., & McClellan, J. M. (2023). Narrative review: Impairing emotional outbursts: What they are and what we should do about them. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 62(2), 135–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2022.03.014 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2022.03.014

Comer, J. S., Nelson Darling, L., del Busto, C., Musser, E. D., & Pincus, D. B. (2021). Stress and stress management in children and adolescents. In Principles and Practice of Stress Management (pp. 93–124). The Guilford Press.

Cosso, J., de Vivo, A. R. R., Hein, S., Silvera, L. P. R., Ramirez-Varela, L., & Ponguta, L. A. (2022). Impact of a social-emotional skills-building program (Pisotón) on early development of children in Colombia: A pilot effectiveness study. International Journal of Educational Research, 111, 101898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101898 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101898

Duman, A. E., & Dost, M. T. (2024). Parental emotional availability and well-being: The mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation. Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Journal, 14(75), 555–575. https://doi.org/10.17066/tpdrd.1415039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17066/tpdrd.1415039

Eira Nunes, C., De Roten, Y., El Ghaziri, N., Favez, N., & Darwiche, J. (2021). Co-parenting programs: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Family Relations, 70(3), 759–776. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12438 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12438

Ferraro, A. J., Oehme, K., Waldick, I., & Stern, N. (2019). Improving court-mandated divorce education by recognizing the effects of parents' childhood trauma. Pace Law Review, 40(1), 273–306. https://doi.org/10.58948/2331-3528.2012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.58948/2331-3528.2012

Fitzpatrick, O., Carson, A., & Weisz, J. R. (2021). Using mixed methods to identify the primary mental health problems and needs of children, adolescents, and their caregivers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 52(6), 1082–1093. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-01089-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-020-01089-z

Garaigordobil, M., Berrueco, L., & Celume, M. P. (2022). Developing children’s creativity and social-emotional competencies through play: Summary of twenty years of findings of the evidence-based interventions “game program”. Journal of Intelligence, 10(4), 77. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence10040077 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence10040077

Hale, G. E., Colquhoun, L., Lancastle, D., Lewis, N., & Tyson, P. J. (2021). Physical activity interventions for the mental health and well-being of adolescents–a systematic review. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26(4), 357–368. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12485 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12485

Hamilton, L. G., & Hayiou-Thomas, M. E. (2022). The foundations of literacy. In The Science of Reading: A Handbook (pp. 125–147). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119705116.ch6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119705116.ch6

Hazer, L., & Gredebäck, G. (2023). The effects of war, displacement, and trauma on child development. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02438-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02438-8

Johnson, C. L., Gross, M. A., Jorm, A. F., & Hart, L. M. (2023). Mental health literacy for supporting children: A systematic review of teacher and parent/carer knowledge and recognition of mental health problems in childhood. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 26(2), 569–591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-023-00426-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-023-00426-7

Kim, C. Y. (2024). Co-parenting as a predictor and outcome of infant developmental processes: The role of socioeconomic risk [Doctoral dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University].

Kong, C., & Yasmin, F. (2022). Impact of parenting style on early childhood learning: Mediating role of parental self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 928629. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.928629 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.928629

Lee, Y. K., Kim, E. H., & Seo, E. (2022). Co-development of adolescents' cooperative and competitive attitudes: How it predicts mental health and academic achievement. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32(2), 681–695. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12765 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12765

Lequia, J., Machalicek, W., Didden, R., Lang, R., Green, V., Sigafoos, J., ... & Watson, L. (2024). Families of children with autism spectrum disorders: Intervention and family supports. In Handbook of Early Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders: Research, Policy, and Practice (pp. 493–520). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64499-3_24 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-64499-3_24

Li, S., Tang, Y., & Zheng, Y. (2023). How the home learning environment contributes to children’s social–emotional competence: A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1065978. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1065978 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1065978

Liu, A. (2021). Co-parenting of adolescent children, parenting stress, marital problems, and parents’ mental health [Doctoral dissertation, The Florida State University].

Lubis, S. N., & Nashrillah, N. (2024). Authoritative parenting and moral development: A quantitative study in rural Indonesia. Ascarya: Journal of Islamic Science, Culture, and Social Studies, 4(2), 118–127. https://doi.org/10.53754/iscs.v4i2.715 DOI: https://doi.org/10.53754/iscs.v4i2.715

Malesa, K. J., & Mashamba, M. E. (2024). Parents' experiences of participating in diversion programmes for children in conflict with the law. Social Work, 60(1), 171–193. https://doi.org/10.15270/60-1-1257 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15270/60-1-1257

Pan, B., Wang, Y., Zhao, C., Miao, J., Gong, Y., Xiao, B., & Li, Y. (2024). Co-parenting, parental competence and problem behaviours in children: Examining differential parental roles. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03774-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03774-z

Peng, B., Hu, N., Yu, H., Xiao, H., & Luo, J. (2021). Parenting style and adolescent mental health: The chain mediating effects of self-esteem and psychological inflexibility. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 738170. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.738170 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.738170

Pires, M., & Martins, M. (2021). Parenting styles, co-parenting, and early child adjustment in separated families with child physical custody processes ongoing in family court. Children, 8(8), 629. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8080629 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/children8080629

Qiao, T., Wang, L., Chang, J., Huang, X., Wang, X., & Ye, P. (2024). The effect of paternal co-parenting on preschool children’s problem behaviors: The chain-mediating role of maternal parenting burnout and psychological aggression. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 17, 187–200. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S451878 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S451878

Rodriguez, V. J., Zegarac, M. C., Brumbaugh, T. S., La Barrie, D. L., Terry, J. B., & Shaffer, A. (2025). Parental depressive symptoms and child psychopathology: Effects of parenting?specific emotion regulation and emotion socialization. Family Relations, 74(1), 481–499. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13095 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.13095

Ruggiero, C. F., Trexberg, K. M., Moore, A. M., & Savage, J. S. (2024). Applying the family stress model to responsive feeding and early obesity prevention. Appetite, 200, 107515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107515 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.107515

Saini, M. A., & Corrente, S. (2024). Educating for change: A meta-analysis of education programs for separating and divorcing parents. Family Court Review, 62(3), 512–541. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12801 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12801

Wardany, D. K. (2024). Early intervention strategies to support mental health and social development in children. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 4(3), 256–265. https://doi.org/10.58557/ijeh.v4i3.238 DOI: https://doi.org/10.58557/(ijeh).v4i3.238

Yang, M., Qi, H., Meng, Z., Duan, X., & Zhang, L. (2022). Destructive interparental conflict affects Chinese children’s emotional and behavioral problems: Indirect pathways via parent–child attachment and emotional insecurity. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1024325. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1024325 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1024325

Zhang, H., Han, X., Zhang, X., Liu, J., & Zhang, M. (2024). The impact of interpersonal relationships on adolescent students’ cooperation skills: Evidence from SSES 2019 China survey. Current Psychology, 43(40), 31604–31618. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06736-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06736-5

Zhang, Y., Yoon, S., Allbright-Campos, M., Benavides, J. L., & Chang, Y. (2025). Co-parenting, parenting stress, and child social skills: Exploring dyadic relationships in the family system. Journal of Family Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001333 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001333

Zhao, F., Wu, H., Li, Y., Zhang, H., & Hou, J. (2022). The association between co-parenting behavior and internalizing/externalizing problems of children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(16), 10346. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610346 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610346

Zhao, T., Zhang, X., Gao, Y., Mi, J., Liu, W., Wang, J., ... & Liu, L. (2023). Assessing the accuracy and consistency of six fine-resolution global land cover products using a novel stratified random sampling validation dataset. Remote Sensing, 15(9), 2285. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092285 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092285

Zhao, Z. H., Huang, Y. Y., Qiao, J., Huang, W. P., Redding, S. R., Wang, R., & Ouyang, Y. Q. (2023). Co-parenting impact on breastfeeding: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Breastfeeding Medicine, 18(6), 431–448. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2022.0237 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2022.0237

Zhou, S. (2022). Effects of different parenting styles on mental health and academic outcomes for adolescents from different cultural backgrounds. BCP Social Sciences & Humanities, 20, 158–164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpssh.v20i.2184

Zondi, T. V., & Kgadima, N. P. (2024). Challenging experiences of custodial mothers following their divorce: Implications for social work practice. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 60(4), 782–802. https://doi.org/10.15270/60-4-1282 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15270/60-4-1398