Family functioning and adolescent internalizing symptoms: A latent profile analysis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Adolescent Development
• Family Studies

Background:

• Adolescent mental health is influenced by family dynamics.
• Understanding diverse family functioning patterns is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct typologies of adolescent family functioning using latent profile analysis (LPA).
• To investigate the association between these family functioning profiles and adolescent internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression) one year later.

Main Methods:

• Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to categorize family functioning among 1029 adolescents (mean age 16.14).
• Participants completed self-report measures of family functioning, anxiety, and depressive symptoms at two time points.

Main Results:

• Five family functioning profiles emerged: Low, Only Close to Father, Average, Only Close to Mother, and High.
• Adolescents in the Low and Only Close to Mother profiles reported significantly higher depressive and anxiety symptoms at follow-up compared to the Average profile.
• The High family functioning profile was associated with fewer depressive symptoms at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Family functioning is not monolithic; distinct profiles exist with varying implications for adolescent mental health.
• Specific profiles, particularly Low and Only Close to Mother, are risk factors for internalizing symptoms.
• Interventions should consider the nuances of family dynamics to effectively support adolescent well-being.