Stress And Family Relationships Among College Student Parents: A Mixed Methods Study

College student parents represent a unique population because they are typically low-income, accrue more debt than traditional students, and must balance the role of student and parent. Using a mixed methods design, this study examined the relation between college student parents' stress and distress in their relationships with their children and examined how parents managed their multiple roles. Parent participants (n = 80; 54 mothers, 26 fathers; M age = 28.74 years, SD = 4.72) completed an online survey and a subsample (n = 14) participated in semi-structured interviews. Results revealed that college student parents experience a variety of stressors that spillover into their relationships with their children and these associations appear more detrimental for father-child relationships. However, in-depth qualitative interviews not only highlighted the various sources of stress (e.g., time demands, multiple roles), but also revealed internal and external resources that college student parents draw on to help cope with stressors. Findings suggest that program efforts to strengthen the co-parenting relationship and to help college student parents more effectively manage their stress may be beneficial for improved parent-child relationships.