Factors Associated with Family Belongingness in Children Under Legally Required Health Care

Abstract

It is known that family dysfunctions increase the risk of abuse, neglect and delinquency in children. On the other hand, family belonging was shown as one of the protective factors against these types of risks. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between family belonging and various risk factors for children and their families who are being treated in a mental health clinic with the decision of health measure. The study group consisted of 57 adolescents who were treated with a health measure decision, and the control group consisted of 42 adolescents who were treated in the same clinic without any health measure, both groups were over the age of 14. The Parenting Style Scale and The Family Belonging Scale were applied to the participants who took part in the study on a voluntary basis. Data in the sociodemographic information form were updated with the help of parents. Children with health measure decisions had higher rates of grade repetition, exposure to a negative life event, domestic physical and verbal violence, living in a fragmented family system, presence of mental illness in the mother, and a history of delinquency in family members compared to children in the control group. It was found that children's participation in social activities, and the education and income levels of the parents were lower. Additionally, authoritarian and negligent parenting styles were more pronounced and family belonging was lower in the same group. In the regression analysis, it was revealed that the family belonging of children who had been followed up with a health measure desicion, increases with the participation in social activities and decreases with physical violence. Our study supported that in studies targeting children at risk or in need of protection, family-oriented interventions are protective, preventive and curative.