Family Structure and Psychological Health in Young Adults

Tony Cassidy, Elizabeth Wright, Elizabeth Noon

University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK.

DOI: 10.4236/psych.2014.510129                

Abstract

This study explored the effect of the gendered structure of siblings in intact and non-intact families, on family relations, social support, perceived control, and psychological distress in a sample of 708 young adults (294 males and 414 females) aged between 18 - 21 years. Of the sample 96 were singletons, 208 had both a brother and sister, 206 had a brother and no sister, and 198 had a sister and no brother. While the results show that both the gender of the participants and the gender of the sibling seem to impact on distress and its mediators; the more important factor is the gender of siblings. In essence the presence of a female sibling is associated with more perceived support, control and optimism, and with lower pessimism and psychological distress. The presence of a female is also associated with better family relations overall and it is suggested that the main mechanism for this positive impact of female siblings is through the lowered conflict and increased expressiveness and cohesion experienced in female versus male dominated sibling groups.

Keywords

Gender, Siblings, Family Structure, Psychological Health

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Amato, P. R., Loomis, L. S., & Booth, A. (1995). Parental Divorce, Marital Conflict, and Offspring Wellbeing during Early Adulthood. Social Forces, 83, 895-915. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/sf/73.3.895
[2]	Bank, S. P., & Kahn, M. D. (1976). Sisterhood-Brotherhood Is Powerful: Sibling Subsystems and Family Therapy. Family Process, 14, 311-337. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.1975.00311.x
[3]	Biblarz, T., & Raftery, A. (1999). Family Structure, Educational Attainment, and Socioeconomic Success: Rethinking the “Pathology of Matriarchy”. American Journal of Sociology, 105, 321-365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/210314
[4]	Brody, G. H., Stoneman, Z., & McCoy, J. K. (1994). Contributions of Family Relationships and Child Temperament to Longitudinal Variations in Sibling Relationship Quality and Sibling Relationship Styles. Journal of Family Psychology, 8, 274-286. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.8.3.274
[5]	Brown, J. R., & Dunn, J. (1992). Talk with Your Mother or Your Sibling? Developmental Changes in Early Family Conversations about Feelings. Child Development, 63, 336-349. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1131483
[6]	Cassidy, T., & Newport, S. (1996) Family Structure, Environment and Achievement Motivation. BPS London Conference.
[7]	Cassidy, T., & Burnside, E. (1996). Cognitive Appraisal, Vulnerability and Coping: An Integrative Analysis of Appraisal and Coping Mechanisms. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 9, 261-279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09515079608258707
[8]	Cassidy, T. (1999). Stress, Cognition and Health. London: Routledge.
[9]	Cherlin, A. J., Kirnan, K. E., & Chase-Lansdown, P. L. (1995). Parental Divorce in Childhood and Demographic Outcomes in Young Adulthood. Demography, 32, 299-318. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09515079608258707
[10]	Craig, A. R., Franklin, J. A., & Andrews, G. (1984). A Scale to Measure Locus of Control of Behaviour. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 57, 173-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8341.1984.tb01597.x
[11]	Dunn, J. (1996). Brothers and Sisters in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence: Continuity and Change in Individual Differences. In G. H. Brody (Ed.), Sibling Relationships: Their Causes and Consequences (pp. 125-138). Westport, CT: Ablex Publishing.
[12]	Goldberg, D. (1972). The Detection of Psychiatric Illness by Questionnaire. London: Oxford University Press.
[13]	Krause, N., & Stryker, S. (1984). Stress and Well-Being: The Buffering Role of Locus of Control Beliefs. Social Science and Medicine, 18, 783-790. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(84)90105-9
[14]	Moos, R. H., & Moos, B. S. (1986). Family Environment Scale Manual (2nd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
[15]	Pretorius, T. B., & Diedricks, M. (1994). Problem Solving Appraisal, Social Support and Stress-Depression Relationship. South African Journal of Psychology, 24, 86-91. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/008124639402400206
[16]	Scheier, M. F., & Carver, C. S. (1985). Optimism, Coping, and Health: Assessment and Implications of Generalised Outcome Expectancies. Health Psychology, 4, 219-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.4.3.219
[17]	Stormshak, E. A., Bellanti, C., & Bierman, K. L. (1996). The Quality of Sibling Relationships and the Development of Social Competence and Behavioural Control in Aggressive Children. Developmental Psychology, 32, 79-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.32.1.79
[18]	Videon, T. M. (2002). The Effects of Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Parental Separation on Adolescent Well-Being. Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 489-503. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2002.00489.x
[19]	Weiss, K. A., Schiaffino, K. M., & Ilowite, N. (2001). Predictors of Sibling Relationship Characteristics in Youth with Juvenile Chronic Arthritis. Children’s Health Care, 30, 67-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15326888CHC3001_6