THE RELATION BETWEEN FAMILY DIFFERENTIATION LEVELS IN FAMILIES WITH ADOLESCENTS AND THE SEVERITY OF PRESENTING PROBLEMS

This study examines distance regulation styles through use of the differentiation construct. Differentiation is defined as the family system's tolerance for individuality and its tolerance for intimacy. The usefulness of examining levels of family differentiation (high, moderate, low) as predictors of presenting problems in a clinical sample of adolescents and their families is explored. Findings indicate that family differentiation levels serve as significant predictors of all presenting problem categories utilized in this study.