Family Functioning and Income

Abstract

This study explored the impact of income status (low-income vs. non-low-income) on family functioning, social support, and quality of life in a community sample of 125 families. The sample identified themselves as 17% Black or African American, 7% Latino, 4% Asian, and 66% White. The mean age of participants was 37 years. The study used a self-report measure of perceived family functioning, the Family Assessment Device (FAD). Results demonstrated that low-income status was associated with less satisfaction with several areas of family functioning, and that the effect of having a family member with a psychiatric disorder on family functioning depended on income status, with low-income families with a psychiatric disorder endorsing much greater dissatisfaction with family functioning than non-low-income families with a psychiatric disorder. Low-income families also had significantly lower social support and quality of life scores than non-low-income families. Low-income status appears to put stress on families in general and to compound the effects of having a psychiatric disorder on family functioning. Non-low-income status, by contrast, appears to offer a buffer from the effects of having a psychiatric disorder on family functioning. These findings suggest the importance of providing family-based interventions to low-income families in which one or more members has an identified psychiatric disorder.

Comparative Analysis of Potential Risk Factors for at-Risk Gambling, Problem Gambling and Gambling Disorder among Current Gamblers—Results of the Austrian Representative Survey 2015

“…As single parents are on their own regarding the organization of family life, it is fair to assume that problems accumulate in such cases. Furthermore, the precarious financial situation which single parents are often confronted with, is also associated with worse family functioning (Mansfield et al, 2013 ). Children who grow up with single parents also more often have at least one parent who is affected by gambling- or substance-related problems ( r = 0.26).…”

Demographic Group Differences in Domain‐specific Well‐being

“…Research suggests a positive relationship between income and DSWB; higher income leads to higher levels of OWB (Kahneman & Deaton, 2010). Income also affects interpersonal well-being, with financial stress being associated with weaker relationships (Mansfield, Dealy, & Keitner, 2013). Financial resources have been found to affect perceptions of community satisfaction (Junk, Fox, Cann, & Tripple, 1997).…”

Relationship Distress as a Mediator of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health: Implications for Clinical Practice with Economically Vulnerable Racial and Ethnic Minorities

“…Economically disadvantaged individuals and couples often have fewer resources for support and coping (Karney, Story, & Bradbury, 2005). In turn, individuals with low income experience disparities in relationship distress and stability (Amato, 2010;Mansfield, Dealy, & Keitner, 2013). Financial tension and stress associated with economic disadvantage are influential for individual mental health, as well as partner and parentchild relationships (Conger et al, 1990(Conger et al, , 1992.…”

“…Economically vulnerable racial/ethnic minorities report lower rates of marriage and higher rates of relationship dissolution and distress (Bulanda & Brown, 2007;Conger et al, 1999;Hummer & Hamilton, 2010). In fact, families that reported low income indicated less family affective responsiveness, and poorer overall family functioning (Mansfield et al, 2013). Economically vulnerable families reported negative influences from neighborhood stressors that resulted in adverse relationship behaviors such as increased conflict and harsher family interactions (Barajas-Gonzalez & Brooks-Gunn, 2014).…”