Risky Families Family Social Environments and the Mental and Physical Health of Offspring

• Published in: Psychological bulletin Vol. 128; no. 2; pp. 330 - 366
• Main Authors: Repetti, Rena L, Taylor, Shelley E, Seeman, Teresa E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-03-2002
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child health; Child, Preschool; Children; Early Experience; Families & family life; Family; Family - psychology; Family environment; Family relations; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health; Health Behavior; Health Status; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiopathology; Infant; Mental Health; Miscellaneous; Physical Health; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiopathology; Psychology; Psychology and medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychosocial wellbeing; Risk; Risk factors; Social Environment; Social Environments; Social Functioning; Stress, Psychological - physiopathology; Human; Social environment; Health; Risk factor; Mental health; Family environment; Familial relation; Child; Stress
• ISSN: 0033-2909; 1939-1455
• DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.128.2.330

Risky families are characterized by conflict and aggression and by relationships that are cold, unsupportive, and neglectful. These family characteristics create vulnerabilities and/or interact with genetically based vulnerabilities in offspring that produce disruptions in psychosocial functioning (specifically emotion processing and social competence), disruptions in stress-responsive biological regulatory systems, including sympathetic-adrenomedullary and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical functioning, and poor health behaviors, especially substance abuse. This integrated biobehavioral profile leads to consequent accumulating risk for mental health disorders, major chronic diseases, and early mortality. We conclude that childhood family environments represent vital links for understanding mental and physical health across the life span.