Can I tell my family I’m bothered? Adolescent disclosure and mental health in military families
Research Report:
Research SummaryAPA Citation:
Quichocho, D., & Lucier-Greer, M. (2024). Can I tell my family I’m bothered? Adolescent disclosure and mental health in military families. Journal of Child and Family Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-024-02838-7
Abstract Created by REACH:
Guided by structural family theory, this study examined how a family’s cohesion (i.e., bonds between family members) and flexibility (i.e., adaptability of family roles) related to adolescents’ emotional disclosure to different family members and whether emotional disclosure by adolescents was related to their own mental health. 201 adolescents, all with a Service member father and civilian mother, reported perceptions of their family’s cohesion and flexibility, the frequency of their emotional disclosure to specific family members (i.e., telling their mother, father, and sibling/s about their difficulties), and their mental health (i.e., well-being, self-efficacy, anxiety and depressive symptoms). Overall, family cohesion and flexibility were differentially related to adolescents’ emotional disclosure with their parents. Additionally, more frequent disclosure to fathers and siblings was linked to better adolescent mental health.
Focus:
Children
Youth
Mental health
Branch of Service:
Army
Military Affiliation:
Active Duty
Subject Affiliation:
Child of a service member or veteran
Active duty service member
Spouse of service member or veteran
Military families
Population:
Childhood (birth - 12 yrs)
Adolescence (13 - 17 yrs)
Adulthood (18 yrs & older)
Young adulthood (18 - 29 yrs)
Thirties (30 - 39 yrs)
Middle age (40 - 64 yrs)
Methodology:
Secondary Analysis
Authors:
Quichocho, Davina, Lucier-Greer, Mallory
Abstract:
Adolescents in military families may be at elevated risk for poor mental health outcomes given their developmental stage and exposure to military life stressors. Using Structural Family Theory and a family resilience lens, we examine how the family affective environment created by the roles and rules of families manifests as balanced family cohesion and balanced family flexibility, and how this family environment is related to mental health outcomes for adolescents. Furthermore, the frequency with which adolescents disclose negative emotions to their family members (including fathers, mothers, and siblings) was posited to link family environment elements and adolescent mental health. We used structural equation modeling with 201 military families that featured a Service member father, civilian mother, and adolescent age 11–18 who had at least one sibling. Across models, balanced family cohesion was directly related to adolescent mental health. Emotional disclosure to fathers and siblings was associated with better adolescent mental health. The role of emotional disclosure as a link between family affective environment and adolescent mental health depended on the family member being disclosed to and primarily emerged among fathers. Specifically, balanced family flexibility was indirectly linked to adolescent mental health via emotional disclosure to fathers. These models fit similarly among adolescent boys and girls. Potential points of intervention to support the mental health of adolescents in military families are discussed, including bolstering balanced family cohesion within the family system and addressing barriers and needed skills to encourage adolescent emotional disclosure.
Publication Type:
Article
REACH Publication
Featured Research
Keywords:
family cohesion, asolesecent mental health, negative emotion, flexibility
REACH Publication Type:
Research Summary
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