Family functioning pattern and adolescent psychosocial health status: The study of secondary school students in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Objectives: The study assessed the family functioning pattern and the psychosocial health status of in-school adolescents, with a view to determining the association between family functioning pattern and psychosocial health status of in-school-adolescents. This provided a basis for planning family oriented support services to enhance psychosocial health status of in-school adolescents. Study design: A descriptive cross-sectional design. Methods: Three hundred and thirty-five school-adolescents from public and private secondary schools in Ife Central LGA were selected using the proportionate systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected with the Family Assessment Device questionnaire and Youth self-reported Pediatric Symptom Checklist and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Findings showed that 53.7% of the participants had unhealthy family functioning pattern while 16.0% had impaired psychosocial status. There is a significant negative association between family functioning in problem solving dimension and psychosocial health status with a Beta coefficient (-1.120), Odd ratio=0.326 (95% CI 0.171 to 0.624). Conclusion: Majority of in-school adolescents had unhealthy family functioning pattern and one in six adolescents had impaired psychosocial health. There was a negative but significant association between the problem-solving dimension of family functioning and psychosocial health. Community health professionals should carry out preventive interventions among parents and adolescents in the community with adequate attention to all the dimensions of family functioning.