Amer. J. Orthopsychiat. 48(2), April 1978 z CLINICAL COMMON PROBLEMS OF STEPPARENTS AND THEIR SPOUSES zyx Emily B. Visher, Ph.D., and John S. Visher, M.D. The half-million adults annually who become stepparents in this country have relatively little guidance available zyxwv to them from mental health professionals or from the public. This paper examines conflictual situations that frequently interfere with the successful blending and establishment of new stepfamilies. z ach year in the United States, one E half million adults become steppar- ents of one or more children. In 1965, Simon' estimated that there were eight million children in the United States liv- ing with a stepparent; by 1975, Roose- velt and Lofas reported that there were fifteen million children under age eigh- teen living in stepfamilies, and that there were a minimum of 25 million husbands and wives who were stepmothers and stepfathers. There has been very little considera- tion given to the problems of stepfam- ilies by the public or by mental health professionals. What concern and atten- tion has existed has been related pri- marily to understanding and working with the children in such families. Only recently have stepparents come out of the closet and begun talking about their feelings. Two serious books, The HaZf Parent zyxw * and Living in Step have been published, research papers are being written, and a few discussion and ther- apy groups for stepparents are being of- fered. Throughout the years, there have been stepparents who have sought pro- fessional help, and with the increase- both in number and public interest-in stepparents, it is likely that mental health professionals will become increasingly involved with these problems. Revised version of a paper presented to the American Psychiatric Association's Northern Cali- fornia District Branch, Carmel. Calif., April 1977. Authors are: Vice President, Stepfamily Foundation of California, Inc. (E. Visher); and, Chief, Adirlt Services, North County Mental Health Center, Daly City, Calif. (1. Visher). 252