Family Functioning in Families of Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders: The Role of Parenting Alliance

Abstract

This study primarily examined the predictive role of emotional and behavioral disorders in family cohesion and the moderating role of parenting alliance. Adolescents’ mental health issues are a major concern, with important implications for individuals and their families. However, the impact of mental disorders on family processes has been less widely studied. Participants in this study were 72 parents of adolescent beneficiaries of mental health services. Questionnaires assessed family cohesion, parenting alliance, and sociodemographic factors. Results indicated that emotional and behavioral disorders did not have an influence on family cohesion. They also suggested that parenting alliance may be a protective factor for family cohesion. This paper highlights the role of parenting alliance as a potential protective factor in positive family processes. These findings support the importance of focusing on the parental subsystem in therapy, and the need to incorporate a positive parenting perspective when working with these families.

Unpacking the Association between Family Functionality and Psychological Distress among Chinese Left-Behind Children: The Mediating Role of Social Support and Internet Addiction

“…As an important setting for children’s socialization, the family plays a vital role in promoting children’s mental well-being [ 7 ]. Family functionality is a dynamic concept that refers to the family members fulfilling their roles, strengthening cohesion, solving issues, and communicating positively [ 6 , 9 ]. Adaptability and cohesion are the two main dimensions of family functionality [ 10 ].…”

Mental Health and Well-Being in Children

“…Regarding the role of the family in the mental health and well-being of children, we should emphasize the research produced by Baena et al [ 8 ] and Carmo et al [ 9 ] in which they studied, respectively, the role of parenting alliance and the parental perfectionism and parenting styles in children adjustment.…”