Psychological Functioning of the Family and Its Relationship with Adolescent's Quality of Life and Self-Efficacy

The aim of the present study was to examine the interrelationship of different dimensions of psychological functioning of the family, the quality of life, and self-efficacy of male adolescents. The sample, which was selected through multi-stage cluster sampling method, comprised 203 high school male students who had enrolled in 2009-2010 academic year in Shahrood. For the purpose of data collection, Family Psychological Functioning Scale (FPFS), General Self-Efficacy Scale of Sherer (GSES), and World Health Organization’s Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL) were used. Results of the study revealed that psychological functioning of the family had a significant, positive relationship with the quality of life and self-efficacy of male adolescents. The findings showed that there was a significant relationship between “physical health” and psychological functioning of the family in relationship, emotional literacy, spirituality and religion, leisure time, sense of security, conflict resolution and control dimensions. In addition, “mental health” was significantly associated with relationship, achievement, emotional literacy, spirituality and religion, leisure time, structure and organization, sense of security, conflict resolution, socializing, independence, and control dimensions. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between “social relations” and relationship, achievement, leisure time, structure and organization, socializing, independence, and control dimensions and finally “environmental relations” was significantly correlated with relationship, achievement, emotional literacy, sense of security, socializing, independence, and control dimensions. A positive correlation was observed between self-efficacy and psychological functioning of the family in relationship, achievement, emotional literacy, structure and organization, conflict resolution, and independence domains, whereas there was a negative correlation between self-efficacy and control domain. Results of regression analysis showed that 41 percent of self-efficacy variance and 43 percent of quality of life variance was related to psychological functioning of the family.