FAMILY SYSTEM’S ROLE IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF THE CHILDREN

OBJECTIVE: To find out the influence of single- and joint-family systems on psychological well-being of children. METHODS: This comparative study was conducted on 200 participants, including 100 (50 male 50 female) from single-family system and 100 (50 male 50 female) from joint-family system. Required sample size was drawn for two different family systems equally by applying the stratified probability random sampling technique. Children aged 12-14 years were included. While Ryff psychological well-being measurement scale (RPWMS) was used for data collection purpose. In our study we assumed; in joint-family system the level of psychological well-being of the children will be higher than single-family system. While for statistical analysis of the collected data, descriptive analysis technique and independent t-test was used. RESULTS: Mean age of participants was 13.09±0.86 years. Overall, mean RPWMS score was 186.60±42.61. Mean RPWMS score was 175.80±40.53 197.41±42.09 for children from single joint family system respectively (p 0.001) and 195.93±36.56 177.28±46.23 for female male children respectively (p 0.001). Mean score for autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations, purpose in life, and acceptance of self was 9.33±6.85 29.83±6.76, 29.22±7.37, 29.25±7.37, 29.42±7.58 28.75±7.88 respectively for participants from single-family system and 32.37±6.53, 33.120±6.35, 32.68±7.05, 32.39±7.75, 32.67±6.43 32.08±8.09 respectively for participants from joint-family system (p 0.01). CONCLUSION: Children from joint-family system and female children had a better psychological well-being than children from single family system and male children on same scale with approximately same characteristic and features.