During adolescence, children get prepared for their future social responsibilities as adults by experiencing rapid psychological and physical changes. Also, through process of contacting with their family, they establish their identity. For these reas...
During adolescence, children get prepared for their future social responsibilities as adults by experiencing rapid psychological and physical changes. Also, through process of contacting with their family, they establish their identity. For these reasons, it is natural that they go through many pains related to the juvenile growth. For teenagers, relationships with family is crucial for future human-relationships. However, they don't always consider the relationship with their family as easy work. Struggles between children and parents, the generation-gap that exists, and problems caused by these likely conflicts could be critical trauma for young people.
Teenagers often have mental problems such as depression, insecurity impediments, juvenile delinquency, anti-social human nature, low appetite caused by sensitiveness, drugabuse, drugaddiction, impediments in establishing identity and first stages of adult diseases. These mental illnesses should be prevented or taken care of in early days, otherwise teenagers may suffer serious mental problems. Recently, there is more concern about the juvenile mental state because it is now widely known that what children experience when they're young is important for personal maturity and mental health.
For these reasons, we studied teenagers' perception of the family environment and mental-health and also researched some factors that affect the perception in order to provide fundamental materials necessary for improving mental state of teenagers and also family environment.
This study was conducted in the following ways. First, we collected documents verified and studied in existing researches to understand theoretic back ground. Second, verified material for family-environment and mental-state of teenagers were collected by distributing questionnaires to high school students.
Two measuring device used in the study. The Korean family function scale by Choi and Yoo(2003) was used to measure family function degrees. To measure mental heath, we used the mental health quantity measuring device by Lee(1997).
Followings are the results of the study.
First, when we measured mental state by considering individual factors, there were clear differences in students mental health depending on their gender and the religion in the environment. Female students showed a healthier mental state than male ones, and religious students were turned out to be mentally healthier. We also studied how three subordinate degrees showed different results according to some elements. When it comes to self-awareness, religious ones showed better states. when measuring social-support and psycho pathological degrees, gender was the main factor that had the biggest effect on results.
Second, when we measured mental state by considering the family structure, there were clear differences in students mental health depending on the unification of religion. We found five factor which had an effect on the three subordinate degrees; self-awareness, social-supports and psycho pathology. The occupation of mother and state of parent's marriage had an effect on the self-awareness. when it comes to social-supports, the standard of living and mother's occupation were the main factors. In psycho pathological degrees, we found a relevance according to the religious conformity in the family.
Third, when we studied interrelationship between the function of a family and mental-health, the better a family functioned, the better student's mental health was.
Fourth, in the aspect of family structure, a subjective level of living and unification of family religion were two elements among factors in the family environment which had an effect on students' mental state. No low subordinary element of mental state affected students' ego. Subjective level of living had an effect on social-support while unification of family made differences in the degrees of psycho pathological.
Fifth, in the aspect of family function, friendly relationships and communication in family were two elements among the factors above. Among low subordinary elements of mental health, communication in family had an effect on self-awareness. For social-support, communication in family and nature of self-regulation in family made differences. Friendly relationships affected psycho pathology.
Generally, we don't have many measure to solve teenagers' problems. Solutions such as consultations with experts and educating parents about problems are our few solutions to help teenagers when they have problems. In weight of importance of family, we need to develop new family-level solution programs than programs focused on individuals.
The healthy growth and development of teenagers leads to a fine human-nature and a good standard of living. However, mentally unhealthy growth of adolescents could have bad effects on their adaptation to society, and it may cause social problems. As there are many different and complicated and varied family environments, so too are there many differences in hard situations which teenagers encounter. We should understand them from their point of view, and also have to be aware of their changes to provide a systematic public-welfare service between family, school and community.