Why Do Some Adolescents Manage Despite Parental Illness? Identifying Promotive Factors

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the association between social support, leisure time, school experience, and well-being among adolescents with an ill parent. Moreover, we explored the cumulative effect of promotive factors in relation to well-being. Methods: The population included a subsample of 676 students reporting serious or chronic parental illness, selected from a nationwide Danish survey, the Well-being Despite Study. Wellbeing was measured by the five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index. Social support included support from parents, siblings, and friends. A positive school experience encompassed trust in teachers, classroom community, and overall judgment of the school. Leisure time included frequency of activities and having enough time for friends and oneself. We performed multilevel logistic regression analyses using SAS 9.4. Results: Social support, a positive school experience, and leisure time were positively associated with well-being. For instance, for boys and girls who felt they had enough time to themselves, the odds ratio of moderate to high well-being was 3.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.8e7.7) and 2.9 (95% CI: 1.9e4.3) respectively, compared with boys and girls who did not. Cumulative analyses showed increasing odds of moderate to high well-being with increasing number of promotive factors, the odds ratio being 39.7 (CI 95%: 11.6e136.2) among adolescents with 10 promotive factors compared with adolescents with 0e5 promotive factors. Conclusions: Social support, a positive school experience, and satisfying leisure time may be important promotive factors, and the results point toward a more ecological approach to improve well-being among adolescents with ill parents.

Mental health promotion as perceived by Norwegian adolescents with somatically ill parents – an interpretative phenomenological analysis

“…The present study adds knowledge about the importance of conversations, not any conversations, but the active ingredients in particular conversations that can promote mental health for young people living with an SIP. The importance of open communication about parental illness has been discussed (Clemmens, 2009 ; Faugli et al, 2021 ; Finch & Gibson, 2009 ; Huang et al, 2014 ; Jørgensen et al, 2021 ; Kennedy & Lloyd-Williams, 2009 ; Kristjanson et al, 2004 ; Maynard et al, 2013 ; Phillips, 2015 ; Walczak et al, 2018 ). Noteworthy here is that the key factor in the present study was not just open communication: it was conversations about different topics of importance for the adolescents with available, competent and caring significant others.…”

“…Mauseth and Hjälmhult ( 2016 ) identified openness within the family and outwards to network as essential for well-being. Jørgensen et al ( 2021 ) were inspired by the social-ecological perspective on resilience and found social support, leisure time and school experiences to be positively associated with well-being.…”