As part of a larger study of parent-child communication, young adolescents (n = 847), aged 1 I to 14 years, responded with brief written answers to the question: "Using your own words, list any happenings that occurred in the family that you feel may have been difficult and have long-lasting effects." The sample was chiefly seventh- and eighth-grade students from two-parent, White, middle-class, urban homes. Content analyses of their responses resulted in the following themes: feelings of loss due to death, divorce, relocation, or a sibling leaving the family; feelings of threat toward family relationships or integrity, personal or family health, personal of family safety and well-being, and violence; feelings of being hassled due to parents' expectations and limits and siblings' disagreements and conflicts; and testing maturity. The data provide significant examples of the life events offices. Recommendations to identify and care for families and young adolescents experiencing these events are proposed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Amato, P. R.
, & Keith, B. (1991). Parental divorce and the well being of children: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 110(1), 26-46.
2.
Anable, K. E.
(1991). Children of divorce: Ways to heal the wounds. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 5(3), 133-137.
3.
Baker, J. E.
, Sedney, M. A., & Gross, E. (1992). Psychological tasks for bereaved children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 62(1), 105-116.
4.
Beardsall, L.
, & Dunn, J. (1992). Adversities in childhood: Siblings' experiences and their relations to self-esteem. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33(2), 349-359.
5.
Clair, D.
, & Genest, M. (1987). Variables associated with the adjustment of offspring of alcoholic fathers. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 345-355.
6.
Cowles, K. V.
(1985). The death of a pet: Significance for the owner, implications for the nurse. Marriage and Family Review, 8(3/4), 135-148.
7.
Ferguson, W. E.
(1983). Gifted adolescents, stress, and life changes. Adolescence, 16(64), 973-985.
8.
Forehand, R.
, Wierson, M., Thomas, A. M., Armistead, L., Kempton, T., & Neighbors, B. (1991). The role of family stressors and parent relationships on adolescent functioning. Journal of American Academy of Child and Psychiatry, 30(2), 316-322.
9.
Ford, J. E. (1989). Correlates of stress and depression in two groups of adolescents. Unpublished thesis, University of Cincinnati, OH.
10.
Freeman, L. N.
, Mokros, H., & Polznanskl, E. O. (1993). Violent events reported by normal urban school aged children: Characteristics and depression correlates. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(2), 419-423.
11.
Frost, A. K.
, & Pakiz, B. (1990). The effects of marital disruption on adolescents: Time as a dynamic. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60(4), 544-555.
12.
Groer, M. W.
, Thomas, S. P., & Shoffner, D. H. (1992). Adolescent stress and coping: A longitudinal study. Research in Nursing and Health, 15, 209-217.
13.
Hussey, M. A.
, & Ingle, M. E. (1977). The development of a life change event scale for adolescents. Unpublished research paper, University of Cincinnati, OH.
14.
Jackson, B. A. (1982). Student stress: The relationship between life change events and health changes for senior high school students. Unpublished dissertation. Seattle University, WA.
15.
Jacobson, G. A.
(1994). The meaning of stressful life experiences in 9- to 11-year-old children: A phenomenological study. Nursing Research, 43(2), 95-99.
16.
Jensen, P. S.
(1991). Mental health and disorder in children and adolescents: Current status and research needs. Family Community Health, 14(3), 1-11.
17.
Johnston, L. D.
, O'Malley, P. N., & Bachman, J. G. (1988). Illicit drug use, smoking, and drinking by America's high school students, college students, and young adults, 1975-1987. Bethesda, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse.
18.
Kuntz, B.
(1991). Exploring the grief of adolescents after the death of a parent. Journal of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 4(3), 105-109.
19.
Lazarus, R. S.
, & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisals and coping. New York: Springer.
20.
Melnyk, B. M.
(1991). Changes in parent-child relationships following divorce. Pediatric Nursing, 17(4), 337-341.
21.
Mendez, L. K.
, Yeaworth, R. C., York, J. A., & Goodwin, T. (1980). Factors influencing adolescents' perceptions of life change events. Nursing Research, 29, 384-388.
22.
National Center for Health Statistics
. (1986). Monthly vital statistics report. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
23.
Osterweis, M.
, Solomon, F., & Green, M. (Eds.). (1984). Bereavement reactions, consequences, and care. Washington, DC: Academy Press.
24.
Parker, S.
(1988). Accident or suicide? Do life change events lead to adolescent suicide?Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 26(6), 15-19.
25.
Portes, P. R.
, Howell, S. C., Brown, J. H., Eichenberger, S., & Mas, C. A. (1992). Family functions and children's postdivorce adjustment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 62(4), 613-617.
26.
Raphael, B.
, Cubis, J., Dunne, M., Lewin, T., & Kelly, B. (1990). The impact of parental loss on adolescents' psychosocial characteristics. Adolescence, 25(99), 689-700.
27.
Riesch, S. K.
, Tosi, C. B., Thurston, C. A., Forsyth, D. M., Kuenning, T. S., & Kestly, J. A. (1993). Effects of communication training on parents and young adolescents. Nursing Research, 42(1), 42-50.
28.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
. (1989). Making connections: A summary of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Progrmms for Adolescents. Princeton, NJ: Author.
29.
Robin, A. L.
, Kent, R., O'Leary, D., Foster, S., & Prinz, R. (1977). An approach to teaching parents and adolescents problem-solving communication skills: A preliminary report. Behavior Therapy, 8, 639-643.
30.
Runyon, N.
, & Jackson, P. L. (1987/1988). Divorce: Its impact on children. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 34, 101-105.
31.
Russell, D. C. (1987). Hopelessness and suicidal ideation in adolescents as related to life stress, self-esteem, and friendship. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
32.
Schwartzberg, A. Z.
(1992). The impact of divorce on adolescents. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 43(6), 634-637.
33.
Silverman, P. R.
, Nickman, S., & Worden, J. W. (1992). Detachment revisited: The child's reconstruction of a dead parent. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 62(4), 494-503.
34.
Topf, M.
(1986). Three estimates of interrate reliability for nominal data. Nursing Research, 35, 253-255.
35.
Wallerstein, J. S.
(1991). The long-term effects of divorce on children: A review. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 349-360.
36.
Wyman, P. A.
, Cowen, E. L., Work, W. C., Raoof, A., Gribble, P. A., Parker, G. R., & Wannon, M. (1992). Interviews with children who experienced major life stress: Family and child attributes that predict resilient outcomes. Journal of American Academy of Adolescent Psychiatry, 31(5), 904-910.
