The Role of the Family Genogram in assessment of Parent-Young person relaonships, the experience from a Family Pracce in South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The family a young person belongs to is of much importance in determining his/her future outcome. The parent-young person relaonship was assessed using the family genogram. Factors associated with the relaonship and how it affects the perceived family funcon of the young person were also assessed.

Method: Two hundred and twenty-one young persons, aged 15 to 24 years, had their genograms constructed as part of family-oriented interviews conducted for family assessment and diagnosis. Relaonships between young persons and their parents were categorised as either very close or not very close.

Results: Respondents were more likely to be very close to their mothers than fathers 75.4% and 47.7%. First-born children were less likely to be very close to their parents than last-born children, 38.8% vs 50% with fathers and 74.2% vs 86.8% with mothers. Close relaonship with either or both parents was significantly related to proper family funconing (p=0.003 with fathers and p=0.021 with mothers).

Conclusion: Parent-young person relaonship was significantly related to perceived family funcon in the study. The Family genogram is suggested as a tool for assessing parent-young person relaonships.