Family environment and its relation to adolescent personality factors

Investigated the relationship between family social climate characteristics and adolescent personality functioning. The High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) was administered to 80 high school students. These students and their parents also completed the Family Environment Scale (FES). Results of a stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that one or more HSPQ scales had significant associations with each FES scale. Significant variance in child behavior was attributed to family social system functioning; however, no single family variable accounted for a major portion of the variance to the exclusion of other factors. It was concluded that child behavior varies with total system functioning, more than with separate system factors.     

The Relationship Between Social Support and Family Relationships Among Low-Income Couples Attending Relationship Education

Results are mixed for relationship education (RE) interventions with low-income couples. For couples who experienced positive changes, it is not clear what aspects of program models contributed to change. Many low-income couples attend government-funded RE with limited access to social and community resources. Program models often provide related resources complimentary to RE skill-building. We examined the relationship between income, social support, and family functioning for low-income, ethnically diverse couples (N = 856) who attended RE, as well as the mediating effects of social support on family functioning outcomes. Analyses included three separate dyadic models that examined associations among constructs at baseline and immediately following the RE intervention. Results demonstrated relationships between participants’ reported social support and family functioning such that (a) social support was associated with baseline family functioning for both men and women; (b) men’s baseline social support was influenced by women’s baseline family functioning; and (c) men’s and women’s social support change score had a positive influence on their own family functioning change score. However, social support was not a significant mediator of change in family functioning. Implications for RE practice and research are also discussed.     

A Longitudinal Analysis of Family Empowerment and Client Outcomes

We examined the relationship between family empowerment, parent satisfaction, and mental health outcome across time. Based on the Vanderbilt Family Empowerment Project Model, increased empowerment should lead to positive changes in client outcomes. Data consisted of the Family Empowerment Scale (FES), which was used to assess the caregiver's perception of empowerment, Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), which measures the degree of disruption in the youth's current functioning, Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), and demographic information gathered from families receiving services from a county mental health service system at intake and discharge. The results showed that the CAFAS and CSQ were related to empowerment at intake and discharge. Results also indicated significant increases in the knowledge subscale of the FES and the CAFAS and moderate increases in the advocacy subscale of the FES and the CSQ. We discuss the implications of these findings for systems of care, such as stronger parent-professional relationships.     

Perceived family environment as a moderator of young adolescents' life stress adjustment

A longitudinal design was employed to test the main and stress-moderating effects of young adolescents' perceived family environment (Family Environment Scales; FES; Moos & Moos, 1981) on their depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. This study was part of a larger longitudinal project (L. Cohen, Burt, & Bjorck, 1987) that demonstrated the significant cross-sectional effects of the young adolescents' controllable and uncontrollable negative events, and the significant longitudinal effects of the former. The present cross-sectional analyses demonstrated the hypothesized main effects of the FES scores; families perceived as cohesive, organized, and expressive were related to positive psychological functioning, whereas families perceived as conflict-ridden and controlling were related to negative functioning. However, in general these effects were nonsignificant in the longitudinal analyses. Although there were a number of significant Negative Events x FES interactions, in no instance did the pattern support the hypothesized stress-buffering role of positive family climate.     

Black Women and White Women: Do Perceptions of Childhood Family Environment Differ?

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have examined racial differences in perceptions of childhood. Little is known about how Blacks perceive their own families, particularly the family environment that they experienced in childhood. METHODS: A community sample of 290 women (55% White, 45% Black) from two-parent families, heterogeneous in age and social class, was examined using a self-administered questionnaire, including the Family Environment Scale (FES), followed by a focused interview. Siblings were used as collateral informants. RESULTS: The psychometric properties of the FES showed remarkably little variation by race: The internal scale reliability, correlations between scales, and factor structures were quite similar. Although both White and Black women reported good childhood family environments, Black women when compared with White women rated their families of origin as more cohesive, organized, and expressive, and lower in conflict. Sibling responses corroborated these findings. DISCUSSION: This study addresses a gap in the research literature and provides important evidence of strengths in Black family relationships as reported by a community sample of women. The psychometric properties of the FES, found to be strong for families of both races, lends support to our findings and those of other researchers who have used this measure.     

Models of family functioning and their contribution to patient outcomes in chronic pain

This paper analyzes the relationship between family functioning and chronic pain, and evaluates a model which integrates the role of family variables with the pain-coping process in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia (FM). Family variables, assessed by subscales of the Family Environment Scale (FES), and different components of the pain-coping process varied significantly in their contribution to pain, psychological functioning, and disability in these two chronic pain disorders. High system maintenance control and low independence contributed significantly to pain in RA and FM, respectively, while low family cohesiveness contributed to psychological disturbances in FM subjects. Lack of promotion of activity and recreation in the family was associated with greater disability in both groups. In addition to family variables, helplessness proved to be a potent predictor of pain and psychological functioning in both groups, and disability in FM subjects. Pain-coping had its predominant influence on pain. As an exploratory test of the model, the data confirm the importance of examining this integrated framework in longitudinal, prospective studies, and its potential utility in clinical assessment and intervention.This research was supported by a Multipurpose Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases Center grant AR40770 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases at the University of California, San Diego. Portions of this paper were presented at the convention of the American Psychological Association, August 1992, in Washington, DC, and at the meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, March 1993, in San Francisco.The authors gratefully acknowledge Teresa A. Krall, M.A., and Karen Schoenfeld-Smith, M.A. for their valuable assistance in statistical analysis for this article.     

A comparison of the family environments of black male and female adolescent alcohol users.

The purpose of this study was to examine black American adolescents' use of alcohol and their perceptions of their family environments. Seventy-one participants between the ages of 12 and 20 from a large mid-Atlantic medical facility, who reported using alcohol, were asked to complete the Family Environment Scale (FES). Users were described as those who drank at least once a week and used medium amounts per occasion. Females were hypothesized to have higher scores on the FES than males (higher scores on the FES suggest a more favorable perception of family functioning). A t test was conducted to compare group means on each subscale of the FES. Analyses of the data indicated that females differed significantly from males (p less than .05) on four of the ten subscales.     

Democracy begins at home: Democratic parenting and adolescents' support for democratic values

Although it is generally assumed that support for democratic values and beliefs develops as a result of social learning, the concrete socializing circumstances through which this occurs are less obvious. This study investigated the relationship between democratic family functioning and democratic values of adolescents. Adolescents' (N = 1,341, 16- to 17-year-olds) reports on their parents' psychological control, autonomy granting, warmth, and behavioural control were considered predictors of adolescents' democratic orientation. The results demonstrated that the democratic functioning of families was positively related to adolescents' support for democratic values when controlling for the effects of gender, political experience, authoritarianism, empathy, and political activism. Additionally, this study examined the possible role of empathy as a mediator in the relation between democratic family functioning and adolescent's democratic values. The results show that empathy was a partial mediator of a family's contribution to adolescents' democratic orientation.     

Genetic and Rearing Environmental Influences on Adult Personality: An Analysis of Adopted Twins Reared Apart

ABSTRACT We report a genetic and environmental analysis of California Psychological Inventory (CPI) scale scores gathered on a sample of 45 sets of monozygotic twins reared apart (MZA) and 26 sets of dizygotic twins reared apart (DZA) Analysis of twin intraclass correlations and the results of models fit to the twin data demonstrate that the heritability of most scales and five factors of the CPI is about 50 When compared to results from studies of adult MZ and DZ twins reared together few of the scales demonstrate any common family environmental influence Placement coefficients on the Family Environment Scale (FES) can explain only a minor portion of the correlations for twins reared apart The influence of specific rearing environmental factors on adult personality was evaluated by analyzing the relationship between the FES and the CPI in this adoptee sample One FES factor (Cohesion vs Conflict) does correlate substantially with the CPI factor of Consensuality and may account for up to 24% of the variance in that factor, but the retrospectively gathered     

Relationships Between Social Support,Internal Assets,and Life Satisfaction in Korean Adolescents

In previous literature, social support has been reported to have a significant, positive relationship with life satisfaction. However, few studies have examined this relationship among Korean youths and how their psychological functioning is associated with both social support and life satisfaction. This study investigated the associations between different sources of social support (i.e., family, peer, and teacher), psychological factors (i.e., self-efficacy and emotional regulation), and life satisfaction, in a sample of 1133 Korean adolescents. The possibility of sex differences in these relationships was also investigated. Results indicated that only family support had a direct relationship with life satisfaction for male adolescents; however, all three types of social support were found to have a significant, indirect relationship with life satisfaction for male adolescents through both psychological factors. In contrast, all three types of social support had a direct relationship with life satisfaction of female adolescents. Additionally, self-efficacy had a mediating effect on the relationship between the social support from family and teachers and life satisfaction of female adolescents. The results and implications of the study are discussed.     

Effect of family environment and donor source on patient quality of life following renal transplantation.

The authors examined the degree to which the supportiveness of a patient's family environment predicts change in quality of life following renal transplantation. The sample consisted of 95 patients receiving renal grafts from either a living donor or a cadaveric donor. Patients were initially assessed prior to transplantation with follow-up assessment occurring an average of 5.5 months after transplantation. Among patients receiving a living-donor kidney, those reporting a more supportive family environment exhibited reduced depression, improved mobility, and improved social functioning. However, those living-donor recipients reporting less family support exhibited increased depression and diminished mobility and social functioning after transplantation. Patients receiving a kidney from a cadaveric donor showed modest improvements in quality of life regardless of the degree of family support.     

校园氛围与青少年的自杀意念/企图：自尊的中介作用

尽管相当一部分青少年自杀发生于学校背景中,但目前较少有研究考察校园氛围是否会影响以及怎样影响青少年的自杀意念/企图。本研究旨在检验校园氛围的不同方面(教师支持、同学支持、自主机会)与青少年自杀意念/企图的关系,以及自尊在其中的中介作用。采用分层整群抽样的方法,选取广东省10所学校2758名初中生作为被试,匿名填写家庭功能问卷、社区问题问卷、校园氛围问卷、Rosenberg自尊量表、自杀意念与企图问卷。回归分析表明:(1)在控制了性别、年龄、社会经济地位、家庭功能和社区问题后,教师支持和同学支持均能显著负向预测自杀意念/企图,自主机会对自杀意念/企图的预测作用不显著;(2)自尊在教师支持和同学支持与自杀意念/企图之间起着中介作用。因此,实践工作中应重视教师支持和同学支持对青少年自尊的塑造作用,进而减少自杀意念/企图。     

Infant sleep moderates the effect of infant temperament on maternal depressive symptoms,maternal sensitivity,and family functioning

Observed infant temperamental difficulty and infant sleep efficiency and sleep variability were examined as predictors of maternal depressive symptoms, maternal sensitivity, and family functioning. Eight observations at 8-months postpartum were used to assess infant temperament, and actigraphy was used to measure infant sleep for 1-week at the time of the 8-month assessment. Structured clinical interviews were used to assess maternal depressive symptoms between 5 and 12 months postpartum and at 15 months postpartum, and observational assessments were used to assess maternal sensitivity and family functioning at 15 months postpartum. Variability in infant sleep moderated the effect of infant temperament on maternal depressive symptoms, maternal sensitivity, and family functioning. Infant temperament was positively associated with maternal depressive symptoms when variability in infant sleep efficiency was high, but not when variability in infant sleep efficiency was low. Likewise, infant temperament was negatively associated with maternal sensitivity and family functioning when variability in infant sleep efficiency was high, but not when variability in infant sleep efficiency was low. Results underscore the importance of infant sleep for maternal and family health.     

Assessment and Diagnosis in Marriage and Family Counseling

Assessment in marriage and family counseling is discussed conceptually and then illustrated in a review of techniques covering 10 topic areas related to marital and family functioning. Overviews of specific methods of assessment are presented. Assessment and its relationship to diagnosis, with special reference to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual series, are examined. Implications for counselors are considered. An extensive list of references is also presented.     

Homeostatic interactions: a longitudinal study of biological, psychosocial and family variables in children with cystic fibrosis

A two-Year longitudinal study of thirty-five children used data gathered from pulmonary function tests, clinical measurements and standardized tests of depression, self-esteem and family environment to illustrate homeostatic interactions among biological and psychosocial adaptation to cystic fibrosis. Despite physical deterioration over the course of the study, children with cystic fibrosis reported lower depression and higher self-esteem than population norms, and improvements in psychological functioning. Decline in biological indicators of health was associated with increases on an index based on Family Environmental Scales (FES), subscales of cohesion, expressiveness and organization, and maintenance of high self-esteem and low depression. Presence of additional major life stressors was associated with deterioration in pulmonary function, higher levels of depression and poorer scores on the FES. These findings suggest that homeostatic interactions between children's health status and family functioning may moderate the physical and psychological sequelae of cystic fibrosis.     

Conceptual and empirical approaches to developing family-based assessment procedures: resolving the case of the Family Environment Scale

This article focuses on the reliability and validity of the Family Environment Scale (FES). The FES subscales generally show adequate internal consistency reliability and stability over time when applied in samples that are diverse; the items also have good content and face validity. An extensive body of research supports the construct, concurrent, and predictive validity of the FES. More generally, reliability and validity are a joint function of scale items and response formats and of the characteristics and diversity of specific samples. To contribute to further advances in family assessment, researchers need to use both conceptual and psychometric criteria rather than rely too heavily on the pursuit of internal consistency reliability and factor analytic approaches to scale construction and validation.     

Family Environment of Detoxified Opiate Addicts in Iran and its Relationship with Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

The objective of this study was to explore the family environment of recently detoxified opioid addicts in Iran and relationship between perceived family environment and symptoms of anxiety or depression. Thirty opioid dependent men, aged 18–60, who had recently completed opioid detoxification were recruited. The questionnaire of demographic information and substance use history, the Family Environment Scale (FES), the second version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were completed by all participants. Six family typologies were identified/BDI scores were statistically significantly and inversely correlated with the Cohesion and positively correlated. with the Conflict subscales of the FES. BAI scored were not statistically significantly correlated with and FES subscale measures. Treatment implications are discussed.     

Authenticity: a mediator in the relationship between attachment style and affective functioning

Attachment has been show to exhibit a strong effect on emotional well-being throughout an individual’s lifetime. This study examined individuals’ authenticity as a potential mediating variable in the relationship between insecure attachment and affective functioning. Authenticity was examined from multiple perspectives to better define its role as a mediating variable. Results showed that avoidant attachment is a predictor of affective functioning, and that authenticity acts as a mediating variable in this relationship. Anxious attachment showed no direct relationship with affective functioning, yet evidence was found for an indirect pathway from anxious attachment through authenticity on affective functioning. The differing results by attachment style support Mikulincer, Shaver, and Pereg’s theory suggesting a two-part model of emotional response style, wherein individuals with avoidant attachment deactivate emotion and individuals with anxious attachment show hyper-activation when coping with emotion. The study examines the construct of authenticity and its importance in affective functioning. Implications for therapists working with clients are made that highlight the importance of authentic relationships in therapy and life.     

Comparing Maltreating and Foster Families in Italy

Maltreating and foster families belong to different research areas and have rarely been considered together. This exploratory study compared maltreating and foster families to demonstrate an integrated approach that overcomes the dichotomic view that often separates problematic families from those who have resources. This study had 81 participants: 48 maltreating parents and 33 foster parents and the children who were in foster care. We examined family functioning (FES), adult attachment styles (ASQ) and foster children’s strengths and difficulties (SDQ) in maltreating and foster families to examine the differences and similarities between families. Both types of families had significant differences on the FES and ASQ scales. Maltreating families had a stronger orientation to succeed and a family profile that was more orientated towards independence. Maltreating parents had higher scores on the scale that measured discomfort with closeness than foster families. However, both family types had a high level of confidence. Many foster children had SDQ scores that were in the borderline and problem categories. These components may promote a theoretical view of an integrated model for family and children’s problems that promotes children’s welfare and supports maltreating parents. Practitioners can build on parent’s strengths or protective factors and provide services to address less developed areas.     

Adolescent perceptions of overall family system functioning and parental behaviors

We used a systems perspective to examine relationships between adolescents’ perceptions of overall family system functioning and selected parental behaviors. Self-report questionnaire data from 160 ninth and tenth grade students were analyzed using MANCOVA and discriminant analysis. The results showed two parental behaviors, support and monitoring distinguished between types of overall family system functioning. Adolescents in balanced and moderately balanced overall family functioning reported greater parental support, while adolescents in balanced and extreme overall family functioning reported greater parental monitoring. We present the implications of our findings for parent education and assessment.