Aydoğan1, Gökhan Aksu1, Nazlı Büşra Akçabozan Kayabol2, Yaşar Özbay3
1 Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey, Turkey. 2 Bahçeşehir University, İstanbul, Turkey, Turkey. 3 Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Turkey, Turkey
Short Abstract
The main aim of the study was to investigate how economic hardship affects the resilience of low-income Turkish families. Results from a national sample of adults (N = 1061) showed that the protective factors of family functioning resources and family coping mediate the relationships between economic stress, negative economic events, and family resilience. To our knowledge, this was the first study in Turkey examining the relationships between economic hardships, family protective factors, and family resilience based on the Family Stress Model. The findings could lead to the development of culturally sensitive interventions that promote resilience in low-income families.
Long Abstract
According to the Family Stress Model (FSM), families facing economic stressors (e.g., low income, high debt, and negative financial events) experience lower relationship quality. Although the quality of family relationships plays an important role in enhancing family resilience at the microsystem level, very little attention has been paid to understanding how the FSM is used to explain family resilience. The aim of the study was to examine the direct and indirect relationships between economic hardship, family coping and family functioning resources, and family resilience including family harmony and satisfaction. The sample consisted of 1061 low-income married Turkish individuals (Mage = 43.40, SDage = 9.81, %48.2 male). Economic Measures Index, the Family Coping Index, the Systemic Family Functioning Scale, the Family Harmony Scale, the Family Satisfaction Scale, and the Demographic Form were used to collect data through home visits in collaboration with local authorities and centers working for the community. Data were analyzed by performing a path analysis in Mplus 8.4 and the direct, indirect, and total relationships were tested among the variables. All study variables entered into the model explained %55.5 of the total variance in family resilience. Economic pressure (β = -.06, p >.05), financial worries (β = -.05 p >.05), and negative economic events (β = -.04, p >.05) had no significant direct effect on family resilience. However, the indirect effects of economic pressure (β = -.13, p <.05) and negative economic events (β = -.08, p <.05) on family resilience through family protective factors were significant and negative. Family protective factors did not significantly mediate the relationship between financial worries and family resilience (β = -.04, p > .05). Additionally, family support, communication, family roles, problem solving, family rituals, family boundaries, family connectedness, spirituality, and social support were the strongest predictive variables for family protective factors. The findings underscore the impact of healthy family functioning resources and family coping on family resilience, even in the face of economic difficulties. Mental health professionals and policy makers could benefit from the findings to reduce the negative impact of economic hardship on low-income families and ultimately strengthen family resilience
Reference:
Aydoğan, D., Aksu, G., Akçabozan-Kayabol, N.B., & Özbay, Y. (2024, July 5-9). How strong we are together in face of economic hardships: Examination of resilience in low-income families [Conference presentation]. International Association for Relationship Research (IARR) 2024 Main Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
