Mental Health Aspects of Arab-Israeli Adolescents From Polygamous Versus Monogamous Families

Abstract

The authors considered the mental health consequences of polygamy in a sample of 101 Arab Muslim adolescents (19 from polygamous and 82 from monogamous families) at Juarish (Ramla), Israel. The respondents completed the Self-Esteem Scale (SE; M. Rosenberg, 1979), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; L. Derogatis & N. Melsavados, 1983; L. Derogatis & P. Spencer, 1982), and the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD; N. B. Epstein, M. N. Baldwin, & D. S. Bishop, 1983). The respondents from polygamous families had lower SE scores, statistically significant higher scores in 2 BSI dimensions, higher scores in all other BSI dimensions, and higher levels of self-reported family dysfunction. The respondents from polygamous families reported lower levels of socioeconomic status, academic achievement, and parental academic attainment. Those variables may have had a more direct impact on mental health than did parental marital status. The data also indicated that perceived family functioning was the best predictor of mental health.

The effects of polygamy on children and adolescents: a systematic review

“…As can be seen in Table 2, children and adolescents from polygynous families had higher levels on a range of psychopathological symptoms than those from monogamous families in 5 papers (Al-Krenawi et al, 2002;Al-Krenawi & Slonim-Nevo, 2008;Eapen et al, 1998;Elbedour et al, 2003;Elbedour et al, 2007). This included 'mental health problems', obsessive compulsive symptoms (2 studies), paranoid ideation (2 studies), depression (2 studies), hostility, phobic anxiety, psychoticism, acute affective disorders, externalizing problems, social difficulties, attention problems and delinquent problems.…”

“…Three studies reported that family income and/or parental employment was lower in polygynous than monogamous families (Al-Krenawi et al, 2002;Al-Krenawi & SlonimNevo, 2008, Hamden et al, 2009, two reported no differences in the range of occupations (Al-Krenawi & Lightman, 2000;Bamgbade & Saloviita, 2014) and the remaining 8 papers did not report extractable information to compare family income/occupations. This lack of consistency in reports of parental education and income creates difficulties for proposing these variables as influential variables for child and adolescent outcomes.…”

“…Comparisons between parental education and income or employment were carried out in 7 of the 13 studies. Statistically significant differences for fathers' education were found in 5 studies, with lower levels and/or fewer years of education found for polygynous fathers than monogamous fathers (Al-Krenawi et al, 2002;Al-Krenawi & Lightman, 2000;Al-Krenawi & Slonim-Nevo, 2008;Elbedour, Bart & Hektner, 2003;Hamdan, Auerbach & Apter, 2009). Two studies found no significant differences in father education between polygynous and monogamous families (Bamgbade, & Saloviita, 2014;Elbedour, Hektner, Morad & Abu-Bader, 2003).…”

“…Maternal education was reported as being lower level and/or fewer years in monogamous than polygynous families in 3 studies (Al-Krenawi, et al, 2002;Al-Krenawi & Slonim-Nevo, 2008;Hamdan et al, 2009). One paper reported that none of the mothers had attended school (Al-Krenawi & Lightman, 2000).…”

“…Others have reported large variations in children's experiences, both positive and negative (Kilbride & Kilbride, 1990;Valsiner, 2000). However, much of the research has identified negative outcomes for children, including academic outcomes as well as psychological outcomes such as internalizing problems, externalizing problems and mental health problems (Al-Krenawi, Graham & Slonim-Nevo, 2002;Al-Krenwai and Slonim-Nevo, 2008;Elbedour, Onwuegbuzie & Alatamin, 2003;Al-Shamsi & Fulcher, 2005). Family variables and hypothesized risk factors associated with polygyny that could influence children's developmental outcomes include marital conflict, marital distress, father absence, the happiness or distress of the wives in polygynous marriages, financial stress and parental education (Elbedour, Onwuegbize, Caradine and Abu-Saad, 2002).…”