Family Environment and Adolescent Mental Health: Unpacking the Mediating Role of Differentiation of Self
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v6i4.456Keywords:
Adolescent, Differentiation of Self, Family Environment, Mental Health IssuesAbstract
The mental health problems experienced by adolescents are increasingly recognized as a major concern for public health, with family environment playing a pivotal role in shaping outcomes; however, the underlying intrapersonal mechanisms of this association remain largely unclarified. The primary objective of the present study was to explore the role of differentiation of self in the association between family environment and mental health problems in adolescents. For this purpose, total of 289 boys (56.4%) and 126 girls (43.6%) of grade 9, 10, 11 and 12 were selected from Lahore, Pakistan, through purposive sampling, and age range was 14-20 years (M= 16.21, SD=1.30). Data was collected using Family Cohesion Scale, Family Satisfaction Scale, Differentiation of Self Scale and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale. SPSS 25 was used for data analysis. Pearson Product Moment Correlation showed a significant positive association in family environment and differentiation of self, and a significant negative association between family environment, differentiation of self and mental health problems in adolescents. Mediation analysis showed that differentiation of self partially mediates the association between family environment and mental health problems in adolescents, and after controlling the mediators, the direct effect of family environment on mental health increased (?=-.02, p < .01). This study helps in understanding the role of intrapersonal dynamics in development of mental health problems in adolescents.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Rabeea Irfan, Sayyeda Taskeen Zahra, Sadia Saleem
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