Prospective associations between the family environment, family cohesion, and psychiatric symptoms among adolescent girls

Abstract

The present study used a longitudinal design to investigate whether parental values, interests, and the perceived level of expressiveness, cohesiveness and control in the family were associated with changes in psychiatric symptoms during early adolescence. We used data gathered at ages 12, 14 and 17 from 1,600 adolescent girls in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. Using a novel approach we found significant informant effects of family cohesion on psychiatric symptoms, with stronger associations for adolescent ratings than parental ratings. Multivariate modelling adjusting for family cohesion (from parents and adolescents perspective), and parents' depressive and eating disorder symptoms indicated parental ratings on the intellectual and cultural orientation of the family predicted small but significant increases in eating disorder symptoms, anxiety and a reduction in self-worth 2-years later. Parental control also predicted a reduction in anxiety and family expressiveness was related to increases in self-worth.