The impact of parental death during adolescence on separation-individuation process
Date
2018-07-09
Authors
Elder, Sandra
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Abstract
Whether or not major changes in family structure during
adolescence have positive or negative consequences for adolescents
has not been empirically investigated to any extent. The
separation-individuation process is considered to be facilitated
when adolescents can express themselves in a family context
characterized by emotional connectedness (Grotevant & Cooper, 1986).
This individuation process is not concerned exclusively with
separation or autonomy but rather with the continuing embeddedness
of the individual in relationships with others (Karpel, 1976;
Youniss, 1983).
The impact of parental death on the process of separation-individuation
in adolescence was examined in this study. Thirty
male and female adolescents, ages 12 to 16 years, from families in
which the father had died participated in this study. They were
compared with thirty adolescents of comparable age from intact
families. The adolescents completed instruments that provided
information about development of autonomy (Emotional Autonomy
Scale), attachment to mother, father and peers (Inventory of
Parent and Peer Attachment), and adolescents’ perception of family
functioning (Family Functioning in Adolescence Questionnaire).
Adolescents from the father-deceased group are more autonomous
than the intact group in some of the scales. Males from the father-
deceased group scored significantly higher than males from the intact group on the emotional autonomy subscales.
Adolescents in the father-deceased families showed similar
attachment to fathers and mothers when compared with
adolescents from intact families. Adolescents’ perceptions of
their family functioning showed similar results for both the
father-deceased and intact groups with adolescents who scored
high in family functioning being less autonomous. Similarly
adolescents from the father-deceased group who were more attached
to mothers showed less autonomy according to their scores on the
Emotional Autonomy Scale. Adolescents’ attachment to peers was
unrelated to their level of autonomy.
Description
Keywords
Separation-individuation, Adolescence, Parents, death