A study will be conducted to examine the relations among family rituals, family stories, and child mental health. This is a follow-up study of 120 families previously interviewed when the target children were in preschool. The children and families will be observed and interviewed when the target child transitions to elementary school to test the hypothesis that family rituals serve protective functions during school transitions and may protect the marital relationship from increasing dissatisfaction. Family rituals will be measured using a questionnaire and interview. Family stories will be collected from the parents and children about a memorable school day. These stories are coded for strength of affiliation, achievement, and autonomy themes. Child mental health will include measures of normative personality development, social competence, academic achievement, and child behavior problems. The proposed model to be tested is that parent-child interactions and marital satisfaction mediate the effects of family rituals and stories on child mental health. Family continuity will be examined by comparing family ritual subtypes at time 1 and time 2. Four subtypes will be identified: stable good, disrupted, resilient, and deteriorating. Each subgroup will be compared for relative levels of marital satisfaction and child adjustment. Gender differences in thematic content of family stories will be examined. The results of this study will inform intervention and prevention efforts aimed at the early school years.
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