Evaluation of an Intergenerational Theory of Personal Development: Family Process Determinants of Psychological and Health Distress

Abstract

Intergenerational family systems theory hypothesizes that the quality of family relationships effects one's psychological and health functioning. An explicit test of this multicausal model of health was made using structural equation analysis. Three-hundred and nineteen college students were administered a battery of questionnaires on two separate occasions. Results for the first administration indicated that the degree of individuation/intimacy in intergenerational and peer relationships was directly related to subjects' health-related behaviors accounting for 30% of the variance in this factor. Intergenerational intimidation/fusion was directly related to their level of health distress, and the complete structural equation model accounted for 35% of the variance in this factor. Finally, the degree of intimacy/individuation in peer relationships was found to be directly related to subjects' level of psychological distress, and the complete structural equation model accounted for 73% of the variance in this factor.