Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Multigenerational stress and nuclear family functioning

  • Published:
Contemporary Family Therapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This longitudinal study tested Bowen theory’s assumption that stressors in the interdependent multigenerational family influence variation in nuclear family functioning. Forty-nine newly developing nuclear families and their multigenerational families were studied over five years. Quantitative analysis demonstrated an association between the perceived impact of multigenerational stressors and variation in nuclear family functioning. Multigenerational stressors, as compared to individual or nuclear family stressors, had a stronger association with nuclear family functioning. The stress response was manifested in symptomatic outcomes of the nuclear family emotional process. Generally, the number of stressors and the total impact of stressors increased over time, stressors in some years associated with functioning in subsequent years, nuclear family-of-origin stressors demonstrated a decreasing association over time, and developing nuclear family stressors demonstrated a somewhat increasing association over time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • H. Anisman R. Zacharko (1982) ArticleTitleDepression: The predisposing influence of stress Behavioral and Brain Science 5 89–99

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Bodenmann (1997) ArticleTitleThe influence of stress and coping on close relationships: A two-year longitudinal study Swiss Journal of Psychology 56 IssueID3 156–164

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Boss (1987) Family stress M. B. Sussman S. K. Steinmetz (Eds) Handbook of marriage and the family Plenum Press New York 695–723

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Bowen (1978) Family therapy in clinical practice Jason Aronson New York

    Google Scholar 

  • W. Cannon (1929) Bodily changes in pain, hunger, fear and rage: An account of recent researches into the function of emotional excitement EditionNumber2 Appleton New York

    Google Scholar 

  • C. L. Cohan S. W. Cole (2002) ArticleTitleLife course transitions and natural disaster: Marriage, birth, and divorce following Hurrican Hugo Journal of Family Psychology 16 14–25 Occurrence Handle11915406

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • S. Cohen T. Kamarck R. Mermelstein (1993) ArticleTitleA global measure of perceived stress Journal of Health and Social Behavior 24 385–396

    Google Scholar 

  • R. D. Conger M. A. Rueter G. H. Elder SuffixJr. (1999) ArticleTitleCouple resilience to economic pressure Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 76 54–71 Occurrence Handle9972553

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • A. Craddock (1996) ArticleTitleRelational resources as buffers against the impact of stress: A longitudinal study of seminary students and their partners Journal of Psychology & Theology 24 IssueID1 38–46

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Crystal R. Kersting (1998) ArticleTitleStress, social support, and distress in a statewide population of persons with AIDS in New Jersey Social Work in Health Care 28 IssueID1 41–60 Occurrence Handle9711685 Occurrence Handle10.1300/J010v28n01_03

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • J. Deardorff N. Gonzales I. Sandler (2003) ArticleTitleControl beliefs as a mediator of the relation between stress and depressive symptoms among inner-city adolescents Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 31 IssueID2 205–217 Occurrence Handle12735403

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • A. DeLongis S. Folkman R. Lazarus (1988) ArticleTitleThe impact of daily stress on health and mood: Psychological and social resources as mediator Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54 IssueID3 486–495 Occurrence Handle3361420

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • A. DeLongis T. O’Brien (1990) An interpersonal framework for stress and coping: An application to the families of Alzheimer’s patients M. A. P. Stephens S. E. Hobfoll D. L. Tennebaum J. H. Crowther (Eds) Stress and coping in later-life families Hemisphere Publishing Washington, DC 221–239

    Google Scholar 

  • B. P. Dohrenwend K. G. Raphael S. Schwartz A. Stueve A. Skodol (1993) The structured event probe and narrative rating method for measuring stressful life events L. Goldberger S. Breznitz (Eds) Handbook of stress: Theoretical and clinical aspects EditionNumber2 Free Press New York 174–196

    Google Scholar 

  • E. Epel E. Blackburn J. Lin F. Dhabhar N. Adler J. Morrow R. Cawthon (2004) ArticleTitleAccelerated telomere shortening in response to life stress Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 101 17312–17315

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Frederickson (1977) ArticleTitleLife stress and marital conflict: A pilot study Journal of Marriage and Family Counseling 3 IssueID3 41–47 Occurrence Handle10.1111/j.1752-0606.1977.tb00468.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Gold F. Goodwin C. Chrousos (1988) ArticleTitleClinical and biochemical manifestations of depression: Relation to the neurobiology of stress New England Journal of Medicine 319 348–353 Occurrence Handle3292920 Occurrence Handle10.1056/NEJM198808113190606

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • J. Gottman (1994) What predicts divorce? Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Hillsdale, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Haber (1990) The Haber level of differentiation of self scale L. Strickland C. Waltz (Eds) The measurement of nursing outcomes Springer New York 320–331

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Hammen (1992) ArticleTitleLife events and depression: The plot thickens American Journal of Community Psychology 20 IssueID2 179–193 Occurrence Handle1605133

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • C. Heim D. J. Newport S. Heit Y. Graham M. Wilcox R. Bonsall A. Miller C. Nemeroff (2000) ArticleTitlePituitary–adrenal and autonomic responses to stress in women after sexual and physical abuse in childhood Journal of American Medical Association 284 IssueID5 592–597

    Google Scholar 

  • J. P. Henry P. M. Stephens (1977) Stress, health, and the social environment Springer-Verlag New York

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Hill (1958) ArticleTitleGeneric features of families under stress Social Casework 49 139–150

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Holahan R. Moos (1985) ArticleTitleLife stress and health: Personality, coping, and family support in stress resistance Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 49 IssueID3 739–747 Occurrence Handle4045701

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • T. Holmes R. Rahe (1967) ArticleTitleThe Social Readjustment Rating Scale Journal of Psychosomatic Research 11 213–218 Occurrence Handle6059863

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • G. Huether (1996) ArticleTitleThe central adaptation syndrome: Psychosocial stress as a trigger for adaptive modifications of brain structure and brain function Progress in Neurobiology 48 569–612 Occurrence Handle8809909

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Y. Jackson S. Sifers J. Warren D. Velasquez (2003) ArticleTitleFamily protective factors and behavioral outcome: The role of appraisal in family life events Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 11 IssueID2 105–113 Occurrence Handle10.1177/106342660301100204

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. Johnson S. McCutcheon (1980) Assessing life stress in older children and adolescents: Preliminary findings with the Life Events Checklist G. Sarason C. Spielberger (Eds) Stress and anxiety Hemisphere Washington, DC 168–173

    Google Scholar 

  • P. Kamal U. Jain (1988) ArticleTitlePerceived stress as a function of family support Journal of Psychological Research 33 IssueID1/2 17–23

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Kerr M. Bowen (1988) Family evaluation Norton New York

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Kiecolt-Glaser R. Glaser J. Cacioppo W. Malarkey (1998) ArticleTitleMarital stress: Immunologic, neuroendocrine, and autonomic correlates Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 840 656–663 Occurrence Handle9629292

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • J. Kiecolt-Glaser T. Newton (2001) ArticleTitleMarriage and health: His and hers Psychological Bulletin 127 IssueID4 472–503 Occurrence Handle11439708

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • P. Klever (2001) ArticleTitleThe Nuclear Family Functioning Scale: Initial development and preliminary validity Families, Systems and Health 19 397–410 Occurrence Handle10.1037/h0089468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • P. Klever (2003) ArticleTitleIntergenerational fusion and nuclear family functioning Contemporary Family Therapy 25 431–451

    Google Scholar 

  • Klever, P. (2005). The multigenerational transfer of family unit functioning. American Journal of Family Therapy, 33

  • S. Kobasa S. Maddi M. Puccetti M. Zola (1985) ArticleTitleEffectiveness of hardiness, exercise and social support as resources against illness Jounal of Psychosomatic Research 29 IssueID5 525–533

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Lazarus S. Folkman (1984) Stress, appraisal, and coping Springer New York

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Linsky J. Colby M. Straus (1987) ArticleTitleSocial stress, normative constraints and alcohol problems in American states Social Science & Medicine 24 IssueID10 875–883

    Google Scholar 

  • M. A. McCubbin H. I. McCubbin (1989) Theoretical orientations to family stress and coping C. R. Figley (Eds) Treating stress in families Brunner/Mazel New York 3–43

    Google Scholar 

  • H. I. McCubbin J. M. Patterson (1987) FILE: Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes H. I. McCubbin A. I. Thompson (Eds) Family assessment inventories for research and practice University of Wisconsin Madison 81–98

    Google Scholar 

  • B. McEwen (1998) ArticleTitleProtective and damaging effects of stress mediators New England Journal of Medicine 338 IssueID3 171–179 Occurrence Handle9428819

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • K. McGonagle R. Kessler (1990) ArticleTitleChronic stress, acute stress, and depressive symptoms American Journal of Community Psychology 18 IssueID5 681–706 Occurrence Handle2075897

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R. Murray-Harvey P. Slee (1998) ArticleTitleFamily stress and school adjustment: Predictors across the school years Early Child Development & Care 145 133–149

    Google Scholar 

  • D. V. Papero (1990) Bowen family systems theory Allyn & Bacon Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Sapolsky (1994) Why zebras don’t get ulcers Freeman New York

    Google Scholar 

  • I. G. Sarason J. H. Johnson J. M. Siegel (1978) ArticleTitleAssessing the impact of life changes: Development of the Life Experiences Survey Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 46 932–946 Occurrence Handle701572

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • T. E. Seeman B. McEwen (1996) ArticleTitleThe impact of social environment characteristics on neuroendocrine regulation Psychosomatic Medicine 58 459–471 Occurrence Handle8902897

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • H. Seyle (1974) Stress without distress Lippincott Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Simons F. Lorenz C. Wu R. D. Conger (1993) ArticleTitleSocial network and marital support as mediators and moderators of the impact of stress and depression on parental behavior Developmental Psychology 29 IssueID2 368–381

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Spanier (1976) ArticleTitleMeasuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads Journal of Marriage and the Family 38 15–28

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameSPSS (2004) SPSS Version 12.5 SPSS Chicago, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameSPSS (2002) Linear mixed effects modeling in SPSS: An introduction to the Mixed Procedure SPSS Chicago, IL

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Steadman S. Ribner (1982) ArticleTitleLife stress and violence among ex-mental patients Social Science & Medicine 16 IssueID18 1641–1647

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Turner M. Beiser (1990) ArticleTitleMajor depression and depressive symptomatology among the phsycially disabled: Assessing the role of chronic stress Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 178 343–350 Occurrence Handle2140853

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • L. Williams (1995) ArticleTitleThe impact of stress on marital quality: A stress-vulnerability theory Contemporary Family Therapy 17 IssueID2 217–227

    Google Scholar 

  • T. Williams G. Calhoun R. Ackoff (1982) ArticleTitleStress, alcoholism and personality Human Relations 35 IssueID6 491–510

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Yehuda J. Schmeidler A. Elkin S. Wilson L. Siever K. Binder-Byrnes M. Wainberg D. Aferiot (1998) Phenomenology and psychobioloby of the intergenerational response to trauma Y. Danieli (Eds) International handbook of multigenerational legacies of trauma Plenum New York 639–655

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Zautra J. Hoffman K. Matt D. Yocum P. Potter W. Castro S. Roth (1998) ArticleTitleAn examination of individual differences in the relationship between interpersonal stress and disease activity among women with rheumatoid arthritis Arthritis Care & Research 11 IssueID4 271–279

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Phillip Kelever, 310 W, 47th St., Suite 215, Kansas City, MO, 64112

    Phillip Klever

Authors
  1. Phillip Klever
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Phillip Klever.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Klever, P. Multigenerational stress and nuclear family functioning. Contemp Fam Ther 27, 233–250 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-005-4041-7

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10591-005-4041-7

Key words

Search

Navigation