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Family Relationship Quality and Its Psychological Effects Among Taiwanese Adolescents

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The Psychological Well-being of East Asian Youth

Part of the book series: Quality of Life in Asia ((QLAS,volume 2))

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of the characteristics and interactive factors of family relationship quality and its effect on various psychological well-being indicators among Taiwanese adolescents. Since grandparents are part of the extended family, which is the basic family unit in the Chinese system, the research framework incorporates both paternal and maternal grandparents in addition to both parents and siblings in the construction of family relationship quality. Data (n = 1,822) were based on a panel study conducted by the Taiwan Youth Project in 2005 (12th grade) and 2007 (14th grade). The analyses explore mainly the patterns and the effect of family relationship quality on Taiwanese adolescents’ psychological well-being. Latent class models and multiple regression models were used to generate adolescents’ family relationship quality, which can be categorized into Paternal Grandparents Close, Distant, Multiple Close, and Nuclear Close. The results confirm that adolescents’ family cohesion, self-esteem, and depression vary by their family relationship quality patterns. The particularity of East Asian adolescents is briefly discussed.

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Jou, YH. (2012). Family Relationship Quality and Its Psychological Effects Among Taiwanese Adolescents. In: Yi, CC. (eds) The Psychological Well-being of East Asian Youth. Quality of Life in Asia, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4081-5_4

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