Table of Contents
Framework, models and theories of family stress
The three most common frameworks for understanding family stress are described below.
What is the family stress model?
The family stress model shows how economic pressure and poverty can negatively affect the quality of relationships between parents. Poverty, in turn, impacts children’s future outcomes. For example, there is evidence that when families have financial problems, their poor finances start to impact their mental health, which causes conflict with each other, resulting in difficulties parenting effectively. This causes adverse outcomes for children exposed to such issues early on, including externalizing and internalizing behaviors at school or other social difficulties with peers.
Family stress theory
The family is a foundation for society, and it can be tough to survive the chaos without significant support. Family stress theory holds that we are subjected to periodic acute stress in our lives as a family.
This cycle of periodic acute stressors in families (such as illness from weakened immune systems or child abuse) often leads to personal/family crises such as divorce or recurring substance abuse if left unchecked. Other problems may include domestic violence that leads to physical and emotional trauma in both adults and children. These problems may then lead to chronic and severe mental health consequences.
ABC-X model of family stress and coping
The ABC-X model of family stress is often summarized as follows: A (the provoking or stressful situation) interacting with B (family resources and strengths), interacts with C the meaning assigned to the event by the family) – this creates X, a state of distress. The main idea is that this “stress factor” can also vary depending on other factors in play that may moderate an individual situation.
For instance, how much time has elapsed since the stressful event took place, what a family member believes about themself and their ability to cope with the stressful times will also affect whether or not they become anxious. Finally, a family’s resources and coping skills will affect the level of distress they experience.
The ABC-X model is significant because it recognizes that all family members may not experience stress in the same way. The model also tries to show how various resources available can moderate or exacerbate anxiety levels for an individual and their families.
For example, family members who are more resourceful and can better utilize their resources may experience less distress than those who lack these skills or have difficulty accessing available social supports.
Family members with more robust emotional health also seem to cope better than those experiencing a mental health crisis.
In addition, the ABC-X model also recognizes that there is often a cost to maintaining high levels of family functioning in response to extreme stress. This may be as simple as feeling overly exhausted from juggling work and other responsibilities while still having enough energy to care for children and elderly relatives. Or it might be as complicated as feeling like you are walking on eggshells or becoming physically and emotionally abusive to your partner.
