The relationship between certain family variables and the psychological well-being of Black adolescents

English: The black South African family has been neglected in research, although attempts have been made in recent years to rectify this situation. In addition, little information exists regarding black adolescents in South Africa. The aim of this research project was thus to supplement existing data on black adolescents within their family contexts. To this end the relationship between selected family variables and the psychological well-being of black adolescents was investigated. The traditional black South African family and socio-political factors impacting on it, was explored through a literature review. Subsequently, data was colle cted from 2 505 black adolescents. Information regarding the following family variables were obtained: family structure, marital status of parents, household size, educational status of both parents, employment status of both parents, time spent with eac h parent, and taking care of household members who are severely disabled or chronically ill. Variables relating to psychological well-being of adolescents that were measured, were depression, perceptions of social support, life satisfaction and self-esteem. Regarding family variables, interesting trends were observed. The extended family was found to be the predominant family structure, although only marginally so. Divorce rates were low and the average household size was larger than expected. Furthermore adolescents spend considerably more time with their mothers than with their fathers. A majority of adolescents indicated that they do not spend enough time with their fathers. A large proportion of participants indicated that they are caring for severely disabled or chronically ill members in their households. A high depression rate of 26% was found. Results showed that family variables had virtually no significant impact on adolescent depression. Maternal employment and the presence of household me mbers who are severely disabled or chronically ill were the only two variables that showed statistically significant relationships with depression. 172 It seemed that adolescents experience less perceived support in female -headed extended families. Intact families, employed fathers, and more time spent with both mothers and fathers appeared to be linked to higher levels of perceived familial support. Identified trends appear to suggest that what is generally considered to be a stable family environment (e.g. intact family and sufficient family time) has a positive impact on adolescents’ well-being. The only family variable that showed a statistically significant relationship with selfesteem was taking care of household members with severe disabilities or chronic illnesses. The study also found that larger households, paternal employment and more time spent with parents were statistically significantly linked to higher levels of life satisfaction. Results of the study revealed that the black families in this study are reasonably stable despite pressures exerted on it. This confirms the existence of innate strengths within black families, and shows their resilience. Several prominent issues that deserves further attention both in terms of future research and in terms of intervention strategies, came to light in the course of the research. The high depression rate amongst adolescents needs serious attention. Time spent with parents also deserves further consideration. Black families need assistance in overcoming the negative effects of South Africa’s socio-political history and in finding a synthesis between their traditional family values and the demands of modern society. In this regard, inherent strengths of black families need to be investigated. Finally, the emergence of new family structures, and the causes and effects thereof, should be examined. The current project adds greatly to the existing database on black families and the psychological well-being of black adolescents. It is hoped that this will stimulate further research in this field, and that information will be utilized in designing and steering intervention programmes.