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Dysfunctional individuation in the clinic: associations with distress and early parental responsiveness

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Abstract

Impairment in the psychological balance between autonomy and connectedness––referred to as dysfunctional individuation––can interfere with wellbeing and contribute to mental health difficulties. Dysfunctional individuation may reflect problems in earlier parent-child relations, and may account for the relationship between such experiences and psychological distress. However, the prominence of dysfunctional individuation emergent from parental responsiveness, and its link with distress symptoms, may differ according to age and gender. The present study examined associations between perceived parental support, psychological distress, and dysfunctional individuation––including the mediating effect of the latter––among outpatients seeking mental health care. Moderation by age and gender was also examined. A sample of 219 patients completed study assessments. Correlations and conditional process modelling examined associations, including indirect effects of parental responsiveness, with moderation by age and gender, on psychological distress through dysfunctional individuation as a mediator. A significant three-way interaction was observed between perceived parental responsiveness, age, and gender in relation to dysfunctional individuation. Examination of mediation revealed significant moderated moderated mediation, in that the indirect effects of parental responsiveness––through dysfunctional individuation––were significant for younger women and older men. These findings indicated conditional age and gender effects on the role of dysfunctional individuation in mediating perceived early parental responsiveness and psychological distress. Thus, dysfunctional individuation may be a salient clinical concern among patients––particularly younger women and older men––with histories of diminished parental responsiveness. Further research is needed to clarify individuation-related difficulties with respect to age, gender, and other social and contextual factors.

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Funding

The preparation of this manuscript was supported by a Scholar Award, #18317, from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, awarded to Dr. David Kealy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Criminology Department, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 12666 72nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3W 2M8, Canada

    Alicia Spidel

  2. Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Fraser Health Authority, #400, Central City Tower – 13450 102nd Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 0H1, Canada

    Alicia Spidel, Dan Kim, Sharan Sandhu & Andrew Izbicki

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, #420 – 5950 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada

    David Kealy

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Spidel, A., Kealy, D., Kim, D. et al. Dysfunctional individuation in the clinic: associations with distress and early parental responsiveness. Curr Psychol 42, 3680–3688 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01736-1

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