Family cohesion and enmeshment: Different constructs, different effects

Some past conceptualizations in family research have synthesized the constructs of family cohesion and enmeshment by placing enmeshment al the high extreme end of cohesion. In this article, we argue that, theoretically, the 2 are different constructs-cohesion is a measure of supportive interaction, and enmeshment is a measure of psychological control. We examine this hypothesis by testing the associations between adolescent reports of family cohesion and enmeshment and several measures of adolescent problem behaviors using a sample of 471 students in preadolescence and early and middle adolescence from a suburb of a city in the South. Results show that cohesion is associated negatively with both internalizing and externalizing adolescent problem behaviors. Enmeshment is related positively with youth problems, and more strongly with internalizing problems. Furthermore, different patterns of interaction emerge among the 2 family variables and the adolescents' grade in school and sex.