Role of family in child and adolescent mental health

Page: 72-74

Surender Kumar (Department of Psychology, Govt College, Hisar, Haryana)

Parenting and child rearing had been one of the most important functions and occupations of adults till the middle of the twentieth century. There exist several altered family forms such as the single-parent family, one biological and one step-parent family, foster family, and so on. Research has shown that children living in these alternative families are at a greater risk of maladaptation and development of the disorder. With the emancipation of women, industrialization, urbanization, and increasing demands from women for work outside the home, parents are spending less and less time on parenting functions. Children are looked after in other settings such as crèches, nurseries, day schools, and by other adults like relatives, friends, neighbors, servants, and older siblings, and at times are even left alone. With little time at their disposal, parents now do not have much control over the varied environmental influences that impinge on the psyche of the child. Keeping this in mind, the present paper reviews on the role of the family in child and adolescent development.