Impact of Family Dysfunctions on Child and Adolescents Mental Health

None of us live alone. Family is the primary unit where individuals find their self identity and desire to live. A rigid definition of family involves persons united by ties of marriage, blood, or adoption. The members of a family have a common habitat, share same roof and constitute a single house hold. They interact and communicate with each other in the performance of roles, as spouse, mother and father, son, daughter, etc. This unit has certain common characteristics in all societies although the relationship between the individuals, family, society, culture and civilization are variable and complex. The family provides for the child’s biological needs and simultaneously directs its development towards becoming an integrated person capable of living in society and maintaining and transmitting culture. Specific to mental health, family plays a very significant role in development of positive mental health and making a person psychologically resourceful and socially organized.