The longitudinal study of the Effects of Parent's Serious Illness on Family Income and Internalizing Behaviors of Adolescent

• Main Authors: Chen-Yun Wang, 王貞云
• Other Authors: Yue-Chune Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/19883187795792841926

博士 === 國立陽明大學 === 衛生福利研究所 === 104 === Parent's serious illness may have impact on family income and become the risk factor of adolescent internalizing behavior problems. However, previous researches on the relationship between parent's serious illness and adolescent internalizing behaviors intend to search causal factors from individual mental domain. Only few researches explored the influences of socio-economic factors and the connecting mechanisms. The purposes of this study are to explore the effects of parent’s serious illness on the developmental trajectories of internalizing behavior problems of Taiwanese adolescent and to test the mediated effects of family income on the relationships between parent's serious illness and adolescent internalizing behaviors. This is a longitudinal cohort study. Secondary data analysis was conducted from three-wave survey data of Taiwan Education Panel Survey (TEPS) in 2001, 2003 and 2005. Statistical methods are multiple imputation to deal with missing values; latent growth model (LGM) to analyze the developmental trajectories of adolescent behavior and family income; the parallel process latent growth model (PPLGM) and bootstrap method to verify mediated effect of family income on the relationship of parent's serious illness and adolescent internalizing behaviors. Three research results were founded. First, trajectory of Taiwan adolescents’ seemed to be growing in a non-linear incremental curve. However, the higher the degree of problems at initial stage, the slower the growth rate of internalized problems of adolescent. Second, adolescent whose parent had serious illness had higher degree of internalizing behavior problems than other adolescent at the initial status. However, the growth rate of internalizing behavior was relatively lower than others. Therefore, the negative effect of parent’s serious illness on the adolescent internalizing behavior problems decreased gradually as time goes by. Third, adolescent whose parent had serious illness had relatively lower family income at the initial status. However, the growth rate of their family income was slightly higher than others. The higher the initial status and growth rate of family income of adolescent, the lower the growth rate of adolescent internalizing behaviors. This means economics resources may delay the deterioration of adolescent internalizing behavior problems. Fourth, the mediate effect of developmental trajectory of family income on the relationship between parent’s serious illness and adolescent internalizing behavior problems was significant only at the initial status. It is not significant in the long term. Based on the above findings, three suggestions to the government are as follows. First, should organize all supportive resources related to various medical subsidies and living allowances at the initial stage of parent’s serious illness to reduce the economic impact of high medical expenses on the reduction of family income. Second, should provide adolescence supportive services on mental health at the initial stage of parent’s serious illness. Third, should follow-up adolescent who do not seek further education to explore whether the factors are related to family negative life events or obstacles generated from internalizing behavior problems of the adolescent.