View in EDS

Psychological Well-Being and Family Functioning in Middle Childhood: The Unique Role of Sibling Relational Dynamics.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Psychological Well-Being and Family Functioning in Middle Childhood: The Unique Role of Sibling Relational Dynamics.
Authors: Geerts-Perry, Ashley T.1 Ashley.Geerts@unt.edu, Riggs, Shelley A.1, Kaminski, Patricia L.1, Murrell, Amy1
Source: Journal of Family Issues. Dec2021, Vol. 42 Issue 12, p2965-2985. 21p.
Subject Terms: *Siblings, *Self-evaluation, *Child development, *Family conflict, *Child behavior, *Family roles, *Family relations, *Children, Well-being, Adaptability (Personality), Descriptive statistics
Abstract: Despite being the longest relationships across the lifespan, the sibling dyad is the most under-studied relationship in the family system. Researchers have documented the harmful and beneficial effects of sibling relationships and family dynamics on individual well-being. Extending this research to middle childhood, the current study examined family functioning, sibling relational dynamics, and self-reported adjustment and internalizing symptoms among 8- to 11-year-old children. Path analyses revealed significant direct effects between conflictual family functioning and children's psychological well-being. Significant interactions between family functioning and sibling dynamics suggested that congruent relational dynamics at multiple levels of the family system had a cumulative impact on the child's well-being. Findings from the current study highlight the role of family functioning and the unique contributions of sibling relationships to children's functioning, suggesting that consideration of sibling relational dynamics may improve treatment planning by pointing out additional targets for intervention and/or potential sources of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Family Issues is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Despite being the longest relationships across the lifespan, the sibling dyad is the most under-studied relationship in the family system. Researchers have documented the harmful and beneficial effects of sibling relationships and family dynamics on individual well-being. Extending this research to middle childhood, the current study examined family functioning, sibling relational dynamics, and self-reported adjustment and internalizing symptoms among 8- to 11-year-old children. Path analyses revealed significant direct effects between conflictual family functioning and children's psychological well-being. Significant interactions between family functioning and sibling dynamics suggested that congruent relational dynamics at multiple levels of the family system had a cumulative impact on the child's well-being. Findings from the current study highlight the role of family functioning and the unique contributions of sibling relationships to children's functioning, suggesting that consideration of sibling relational dynamics may improve treatment planning by pointing out additional targets for intervention and/or potential sources of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:0192513X
DOI:10.1177/0192513X21993191