Family functioning and psychological distress in a sample of mental health outpatients: Implications for routine examination and screening

Abstract

Rationale, aims, and objectives: Clinical and research evidence suggests that family functioning is an important variable in shaping psychological well-being, despite being often overlooked in the prevailing approaches to mental health. The aim of the present study is to examine the associations between psychological distress and family functioning in a sample of patients accessing a public mental health service.Method: CORE-OM and FACES IV questionnaires were administered to 112 patients, and all the correlations between the scales and subscales were calculated.Descriptive statistics concerning family typologies and satisfaction with family communication or relationships were also evaluated. Results:The results showed significant associations between family functioning and psychological well-being. Positive aspects of family functioning, such as balanced cohesion and flexibility, were associated with lower distress, while negative aspects such as disengagement were associated with poorer mental health. According to the Circumplex model, most of the families were described as balanced in their functioning; however, the communication and family satisfaction scores revealed that many patients had concerns about their family relationships.Conclusions: This study confirms that family functioning is significantly associated with psychological distress, also in the absence of clear and conspicuous signs of structural imbalances within family relationships.

Qualitative genogram analysis: A methodology for theorizing family dynamics

“…QGA could help scholars understand how substance abuse gets “passed on” from one generation to another and how different relationships in families together (as opposed to independently) contribute to this process. Another area of study could further examine the link between mental health and maladaptive family functioning (e.g., Scully et al, 2020; Tramonti et al, 2020). Given that certain relational and interactive patterns can create a family environment where mental health issues are maintained from one generation to the next (Kerr & Bowen, 1988), QGA can serve as a great analytical tool in identifying common relational dynamics in families struggling with mental health issues across generations.…”

Immigrant parents and children navigating two languages: A scoping review

“…Children with a balanced family system have better scores in school achievement than those from unbalanced families at the start of formal schooling (Zalewska-Łunkiewicz et al, 2016). Similarly, adults from balanced family types report lower psychological distress (Tramonti et al, 2020). In contrast, unbalanced family types are associated with low adolescent self-control and increased juvenile deviant behaviors (Gomes & Gouveia-Pereira, 2019).…”

“…Even among families that appear balanced when examining dimensions of cohesion and flexibility, flaws in communication are critical considerations for family health. Tramonti et al (2020) suggest that, "although family relations may not appear as clearly dysfunctional, significant problems can lie below the surface of the family organization" (Tramonti et al, 2020(Tramonti et al, , p. 1045.…”

“…Recent work on the Circumplex Model indicates that communication is a highly important factor when examining family types. For instance, among many families described as balanced, the majority of the communication and family satisfaction scores showed concerns about family relationships, and that it was these scores in particular that were correlated with psychological distress (Tramonti et al, 2020). Even among families that appear balanced when examining dimensions of cohesion and flexibility, flaws in communication are critical considerations for family health.…”

Approaching complexity—Start with awareness

“…She illustrated that many clinical problems are only fully appreciable when approached with the mindset of systemic causation . Tramonti et al highlight the multiple interconnected dimensions resulting in psychological distress based within the context of family dynamics.

Epigenetic studies show significant evidence of how genetic predispositions and life experiences are variables whose effects are not separate but mutually influencing in a dynamic process of multiple and circular causation. Robust evidence also exists on the importance of specific conditions for the proper development of the nervous system, including positive and nurturing human relationships.

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