Family and romantic relationships have been linked to both mental and physical health outcomes. Previous research has lacked attention on precise pathways by which these associations occur and continue to use predominately White, middle-class, nuclear families as the basis of study. The Biobehavioral Family Model (BBFM) is a biopsychosocial approach to health that integrates family emotional climate, biobehavioral reactivity (emotion dysregulation), and physical health outcomes into a comprehensive model. The present study was conducted to examine the ability of the BBFM to explain connections between family processes and health for primarily uninsured, low-income adult primary care patients. Patient participants (ages 18-65 years) self-reported their family functioning, romantic relationship satisfaction, anxiety, depression, alcohol use, illness symptoms, and physical well-being (n = 125). Data were also collected from patient medical charts. Separate models using family functioning (Model 1) and romantic relationship satisfaction (Model 2) as measures of family emotional climate were tested using path analyses and bootstrapping. Results demonstrated support for the BBFM in explaining health quality for this sample. Applying the BBFM to diverse primary care patients demonstrates pathways by which family processes affect the mental and physical health of these individuals. Recommendations for future research and clinical implications are discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Family and Child Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2012. / March 28, 2012. / Depression, Family functioning, Physical health, Primary Care, Underserved Patients / Includes bibliographical references. / Wayne Denton, Professor Directing Dissertation; Robert Glueckauf, University Representative; Lenore McWey, Committee Member; Ann Mullis, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_183193 |
| Contributors | Woods, Sarah B. (Sarah Beth) (authoraut), Denton, Wayne (professor directing dissertation), Glueckauf, Robert (university representative), McWey, Lenore (committee member), Mullis, Ann (committee member), Department of Family and Child Sciences (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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