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We begin this text (Chapter 1) with a discussion of the research on family stress and coping. The nature and origin of the problems and changes families face today are discussed, noting that while many of today’s problems are not new, the degree of change in American society is unprecedented. The history of systematic inquiry into family problems and change is traced to individual physiological stress studies in the late 17th century; these studies have evolved into the current focus on whole-family interaction with an increased emphasis on resilience. An ecological or systems approach is presented as the integrating framework for studying families under stress. These perspectives facilitate an understanding of families as dynamic mechanisms, always in the process of growth and adaptation as they deal with change and stress over time.

In Chapter 2, Heather Helms, Kaicee Postler, and David Demo discuss everyday hassles and family stress. Specifically, they examine how daily stress and hassles are associated with family functioning, paying particular attention to the variability in family members’ experiences and the invisible dimensions of family work. A stress-vulnerability-adaptation model is used to frame the research on daily hassles and family stress. The authors emphasize the diversity that exists across and within families as well as discuss the contextual factors that moderate how families manage stress. A feminist perspective is used when examining the gendered meanings applied to routine family activities. Finally, the authors discuss how existing policies and practices in the United States fail to mesh with the daily life of American families and propose policy interventions.

In Chapter 3, Suzanne Klatt and Anthony James discuss the role of mindfulness in how families respond to stress and stressors. They review theories related to family stress, conceptualize mindfulness, and then walk readers through two in-depth case studies that apply mindfulness to different contexts within each case study. The authors acknowledge mindfulness as being connected to a rich, deep cultural and religious history, and endeavor to shift toward a critically conscious approach to applying mindfulness to family stress by recognizing the systems of oppression that particular families face.

Gary Peterson, in Chapter 4, focuses on parenthood as a stressor. He emphasizes a “realistic” approach that integrates research on parental stress with family stress theory and recognizes that caring for and socializing children involves challenges and hassles as well as satisfactions and fulfillment. He addresses (a) why parental stress is so common, (b) why parental stress varies within the population of parents, (c) why parents vary in their capacities to cope with and adapt to stress, (d) what linkages exist between parental stress and the adjustment (or maladjustment) of parents and children, and (e) what strategies exist for controlling and reducing adverse parental stress. This approach helps one understand the wide range of circumstances varying from highly disruptive crises, to chronic stress, to normative challenges, and increases our understanding about how parental stress applies to both individuals and families.

In Chapter 5, Kami Gallus and Briana Nelson Goff present the varied challenges and processes facing families who have members with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Because of the complex terminology associated with this area of research, the authors first present an overview of terms used to describe individuals and families with special health-care needs. Gallus and Nelson Goff go on to present current research specific to this population and discuss relevant theoretical frameworks that can be used to better understand these families in their unique contexts. They also examine various family subsystems as well as several external resources available to families with special health-care needs.

Abbie Goldberg and Nora McCormick, in Chapter 6, discuss the challenges confronting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals as well as LGBQ-parent families. Using an ecological or systems approach, the authors review the situational and contextual forces that impact these populations as they move through the life course. These include issues surrounding “coming out,” forming and maintaining intimate relationships, barriers faced in becoming parents, and the stressors related to relationships with their families of origin, schools, and the health-care system. Finally, Goldberg and McCormick present implications for professionals with regard to supporting LGBQ-parent families.

Áine Humble, in Chapter 7, focuses on individual and family challenges that result from aging. She frames the chapter around the concept of an “aging family” which pertains to the relationships, transitions, and social support networks of older family members. Using both ecological systems theory and the ABC-X model of family stress, Humble examines stressful events commonly associated with aging. Specifically, she focuses on two major transitional events that occur in later life: retirement and caregiving. The unfortunate experience of elder abuse is also discussed as is the stressors associated with skipped generation families. Finally, adaptive and coping strategies applied by individuals and their families in later life are also reviewed.

In Chapter 8, David Demo and Mark Fine provide a comprehensive overview of current research on divorce and its consequences for individuals and families. They use the divorce variation and fluidity model, an integrated process model, to illustrate the variability in which families experience divorce but also to explore how adjustment to divorce changes over time. Demo and Fine go on to describe historical trends and sociocultural patterns to provide a current context for divorce as well as present factors that may predict or cause divorce. Finally, interventions (i.e., parent education, divorce mediation) that may facilitate divorce adjustment are presented.

In Chapter 9, Chelsea Garneau and Braquel Egginton discuss the stressors associated with remarriage and stepfamily life. They provide a background on the terms and definitions of stepfamilies as well as present the prevalence and demographic characteristics of stepfamilies in general. Using a family systems perspective, they identify sources of stress within the larger family system and the various stepfamily subsystems (i.e., couples, parent, parent–child, stepparent–stepchild, and sibling subsystems) as well as the most common characteristics of resilient stepfamilies. Finally, Garneau and Egginton discuss psychoeducational and clinical approaches to easing stepfamily adjustment.

Bertranna Muruthi, Hyoun Kim, James Muruthi, and Jaehee Kim discuss, in Chapter 10, various aspects of resilience and adversity that immigrant families to the United States may experience. Using a family resilience framework, they highlight the importance of interactions among individuals within families, communities and the broader exosystemic contexts. The authors focus on how family processes (belief systems, organizational patterns and communications patterns) interact with broader sociostructural factors and influence immigrant families’ adaption processes. They highlight the complexity of legal issues, such as various statuses and identities (e.g., undocumented, refugees, citizen children) among individuals and within families. The authors also highlight acculturation, adjustment of immigrant children, interparental conflict, parent–child conflict, and issues related to physical and mental health.

In Chapter 11, Suzanne Bartholomae and Jonathan Fox address the impact of economic stress on families using the family stress model (FSM) as a framework. The authors discuss ways that economic stress is measured and defined and review the current economic conditions of the American family. They discuss outcomes associated with economic stress, including a review of the research on economic well-being and its interaction with resources and problem solving. Finally, using a family economic life cycle, they examine family financial planning as a coping strategy to combat negative economic events.

In Chapter 12, Anthony James, Veronica Barrios, Roudi Roy, and Soyoung Lee discuss the stress-related experiences and responses that families encounter across the three largest ethnic minority groups (e.g., African American, Asian American, and Latinx American). The authors begin by reviewing both the ABC-X model and the SFS model to promote an understanding of family stress in the context of race or ethnicity. Case studies are then presented throughout the chapter that incorporate example stressors such as managing transnational families, cultural parenting expectations, and interactions with law enforcement. These scenarios illustrate how race and ethnicity can influence family stress processes across different cultural groups in the United States.

Kyung-Hee Lee and Shelly McDermid Wadsworth, in Chapter 13, use the life-course perspective to examine the impact of military life on individuals and families. By employing this framework, concepts such as historical time, transitions, timing, and linked lives are used to help facilitate an understanding of the stressors experienced by, and the resources available to veterans and their families. The authors first situate current wars and veterans in historical context followed by a discussion of the individual and family transitions that veterans, their spouses, and their children encounter. Finally, three interventions that target the challenges veterans and their families often encounter are introduced.

In Chapter 14, Margaret O’Dougherty Wright and Lucy Allbaugh discuss child maltreatment from an ecological and systems perspective placing considerable emphasis on adaptation and resilience of maltreated children. Data from longitudinal studies are used to examine both risk and protective factors that result in the diversity of outcomes found among maltreated children. Specifically, the chapter highlights what is known about factors that heighten risk for psychopathology and behavioral dysfunction following child maltreatment, as well as factors that promote positive adaptation and that protect against adverse, enduring effects. Promising interventions to foster resilience and recovery following child maltreatment are also reviewed.

Lyndal Khaw, in Chapter 15, provides a comprehensive overview of intimate partner violence (IPV). She describes several types of IPV recognizing the disparities that exist in the definitions, measures, and methods researchers employ to study this dimension of domestic violence. In an attempt to facilitate a better understanding of IPV, Khaw presents several theoretical explanations for why this violence takes place and effectively applies a simplified version of the contextual model of family stress to illustrate its complexity. Additional topics of importance to this area of research, such as same-sex relationships, male victimization, and the process of leaving an abusive partner are also addressed.

In Chapter 16, Amity Noltemeyer, Courtney McLaughlin, Mark McGowan, and Caitie Johnson discuss the impact on families of mass violence in schools and communities. They begin the chapter by presenting a hypothetical case study illustrating a family’s experience with mass violence. The authors then review the trends of mass violence in the United States and provide a context for discussing both adaptive and maladaptive responses. Integrating an ecological and developmental perspective, the authors outline a theoretical framework to explain how this type of stressor can impact families and more specifically, how resilience takes place at both the individual and family level. Finally, they describe risk and protective factors that can influence family resilience, exploring implications for professionals working with families.

Jeremy Yorgason, Stephanie Richardson, and Kevin Stott, in Chapter 17, discuss physical illness in the context of the family. They integrate aspects of the Double ABC-X, family resilience, and the vulnerability-stress adaptation models to examine the complex interplay of illness characteristics and circumstances as well as the stressors families encounter and the resilience they display in the face of illness. By employing this approach, they recognize how health stressors are connected to individual and family outcomes through adaptive processes and enduring vulnerabilities. Research findings relating to three situations, including childhood illness, physical illness in marriage, and the declining health of aging parents, are discussed.

In Chapter 18, Kandaus Wickrama, Catherine Walker O’Neal, and Tae Kyoung Lee take an in-depth look at the association between family socioeconomic risk and family mental health. The authors center their attention on the severity of psychological symptoms with particular emphasis on depressive symptoms, and the onset of psychological disorders. They recognize the increased prevalence of mental health challenges for both parents and children during adolescence, young adulthood, and midlife. Finally, Wickrama and his coauthors present the family socioeconomic risk and family mental health (FSAMH) model to inform health policies as well as health intervention and prevention efforts.

In Chapter 19, Kevin Lyness and Judith Fischer discuss the challenges faced by families coping with alcohol and substance abuse. Specifically, their focus is on the experiences of children and adolescents (and their parents) as they struggle with this issue. They take a family developmental approach in their review of current literature as timing, perceptions, contextual factors, and resources depend on individual and family change over time. Lyness and Fisher employ a biopsychosocial model, which includes biological, psychological, and social influences and combine this with the family stress and coping model. They place particular emphasis on the mediating and moderating effects that intervene between two variables, that is, variables that mediate or modify the associations between parent and offspring substance abuse. Finally, they search for explanations of resilience in families coping with substance abuse and discuss issues relating to prevention and treatment.

In Chapter 20, Colleen Murray and Jordan Reuter discuss family experiences with death, dying, and grief. They emphasize that death is a normative and often predictable event, yet it is not viewed as normal and instead is frequently avoided by society. Murray and Reuter review several theories of grieving to illustrate the complex process of loss that individuals and families endure. Family adaptation to loss is described in terms of family vulnerability, belief systems, definitions and the appraisal of gender, culture, and religion. The developmental nature and the unique challenges of children’s grief are examined with an emphasis on factors that influence this evolving process. Finally, the death of specific family members (i.e., children, spouse, sibling, parent) and the associated stressors relating to interpersonal and contextual factors are described.