International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

search-icon

Family Functioning, Family Social Support, and Life Satisfaction among School Adolescents in the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) Area in Johor, Malaysia

Open access
Adolescents' satisfaction with life can be influenced by various factors, including family environment factors. This study aimed to ascertain the relationship between family functioning and social support on adolescents’ life satisfaction in Johor, Malaysia. A total of 575 school adolescents from FELDA areas in Johor participated in this study. The data was collected via self-administered questionnaires, which consisted of the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Family Assessment Device, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS version 25. The results showed a significant positive connection between family functioning and family support on life satisfaction. Further analyses showed that family social support significantly predicted life satisfaction. In conclusion, this study highlights the critical role of family functioning and social support in determining adolescents' life satisfaction, with family social support emerging as the sole significant predictor. These findings emphasize the importance of a supportive family environment in enhancing the well-being of adolescents in FELDA areas in Johor.
Antaramian, S. P., Huebner, E. S., & Valois, R. F. (2008). Adolescent life satisfaction. Applied Psychology, 57, 112-126.
Averdijk, M., Besemer, S., Eisner, M., Bijleveld, C., & Ribeaud, D. (2017). The Impact of Supportive Parenting on the Long-Term Development of Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(8), 1618-1632.
Baiocco, R., Fontanesi, L., Santamaria, F., Ioverno, S., Marasco, B., Baumgartner, E., & Laghi, F. (2018). Dysfunctional Family Relationships, Parental Sexual Orientation and Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27(6), 1825–1837.
Bernardi, L., Mortelmans, D., & Härkönen, J. (2021). Family dynamics and adolescent well-being: A European perspective. Journal of Marriage and Family, 83(4), 1002-1019.
Chu, P. S., Saucier, D. A., & Hafner, E. (2010). Meta-analysis of the relationships between social support and well-being in children and adolescents. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29 (6), 624-645.
Cong, C. W., Tan, S. A., Nainee, S., & Tan, C. S. (2022). Psychometric qualities of the McMaster family assessment device–general functioning subscale for Malaysian samples. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(4), 2440.
Cumsille, P., Martínez, M. L., & Silva, J. R. (2021). Family Functioning and Adolescent Mental Health in Latin America. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31(4), 981-997.
Deb, S., Strodl, E., & Sun, J. (2015). Academic stress, parental pressure, anxiety, and mental health among Indian high school students. International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 5(1), 26-34.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71-75.
Gault-Sherman, M. (2012). It's a two-way street: The bidirectional relationship between parenting and delinquency. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(2), 121-145.
Gavazzi, S. M., Anderson, S. A., & Sabatelli, R. M. (2016). Family Functioning in Adolescence: Developmental and Family Systems Perspectives. Journal of Family Issues, 37(10), 1328-1348.
Gilman, R., & Huebner, E. S. (2006). Characteristics of adolescents who report very high life satisfaction. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 35(3), 293-301.
Gouveia, M. J., Carona, C., Vagos, P., Pereira, M., & Canavarro, M. C. (2022). The Importance of Family Support in Adolescents' Mental Health: A Systematic Review. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(3), 452-467.
IBM Corp. (2017). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. IBM Corp.
Jackson, Y., Rogers, M. L., & Neighbors, B. D. (2017). Family Functioning and Adolescents' Psychological Adjustment: Roles of Emotion Regulation and Emotional Support. Journal of Adolescence, 56, 13-25.
Jiménez-Iglesias, A., García-Moya, I., & Moreno, C. (2020). Family Support and Adolescents’ Psychological Health: The Mediating Role of Life Satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 21, 905-921.
Kouros, C. D., Merrilees, C. E., & Cummings, E. M. (2018). Marital Conflict and Emotional Insecurity in Adolescence: The Role of Family Functioning. Developmental Psychology, 54(10), 1957-1968.
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30, 607-610.
Kwan, S. S. H., & Chiu, H. T. (2016). Family social support and its impact on life satisfaction in youth: A cross-cultural study. Journal of Youth Studies, 19(3), 305-318.
Medeiros, R. C., Miranda, G., & Campos, H. (2021). Inadequate Social Support and its Consequences on Adolescent Mental Health. Adolescent Psychiatry, 11(1), 45-54.
Merz, E. M., Consedine, N. S., & Pichler, F. (2018). Family Support and Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Adolescents in 29 Countries. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47(3), 1410–1425.
Mojtabavi, H., Sadeghi, M., Samadzadeh, M., & Tavakolian, F. (2017). The role of family support in adolescent well-being: A longitudinal study. Journal of Adolescence, 61, 123-131.
Ng, C. G., Siddiq, A. A., Aida, S. A., Zainal, N. Z., & Koh, O. H. (2010). Validation of the Malay version of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-M) among a group of medical students in Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 3(1), 3-6.
Özdemir, M., & Özdemir, S. B. (2020). Family functioning and adolescent well-being: A meta-analysis of the association. Journal of Family Studies, 26(2), 205-221.
Piko, B. F., & Pinczés, T. (2018). Social Support, Coping, and Mental Health in Adolescence: A Cross-Cultural Study. Journal of Mental Health and Psychiatry, 34(4), 312-324.
Putwain, D. W. (2007). Test anxiety in UK schoolchildren: Prevalence and demographic patterns. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(3), 579-593.
Proctor, C., Linley, P. A., & Maltby, J. (2017). Youth life satisfaction: A review of the literature and its applications. Journal of Happiness Studies, 18(3), 683-708.
Salami, S. O. (2015). Social and emotional support as determinants of adolescent life satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32(4), 532-544.
Shek, D. T. L. (2018). Family processes and developmental outcomes in Chinese adolescents experiencing economic disadvantage: The mediating role of positive youth development. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 13(4), 845-865.
Shek, D. T. L., & Zhu, X. (2019). Paternal and Maternal Influence on Family Functioning and Adolescent Well-Being: A 3-Year Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(14), 2525.
Stapleton, L. R. T., Burkholder, G. J., & Young, S. M. (2020). Family Support and Adolescent Well-Being: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29(2), 508-518.
Stavropoulos, V., Kuss, D. J., Griffiths, M. D., Wilson, P., & Motti-Stefanidi, F. (2020). MMORPG Gaming and Depression in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Family Functionality and the Moderating Role of Escapism. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 18, 1486-1500.
Suldo, S. M., & Huebner, E. S. (2004). Does life satisfaction moderate the effects of stressful life events on psychopathological behavior during adolescence? School Psychology Quarterly, 19(2), 93-105.
Szkody, E., & McKinney, C. (2019). Stress-Buffering Effects of Social Support on Depression in Adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 65(2), 296-301.
Teixeira, A., Silva, A. M., & Correia, M. (2020). Family social support as a mediator between stress and life satisfaction among adolescents. Journal of Family Studies, 26(1), 45-61.
van Harmelen, A.-L., Gibson, J. L., St Clair, M. C., Owens, M., Brodbeck, J., Dunn, V., & Goodyer, I. M. (2020). Friendships and Family Support Reduce Subsequent Depressive Symptoms in At-Risk Adolescents. PLoS ONE, 15(6), e0232851.
Veenhoven, R. (1996). The study of life satisfaction. In Saris, W. E., & Veenhoven, R. (Eds.), A comparative study of satisfaction with life in Europe (pp. 11-48). Eötvös University Press.
Verhoeven, M., Poorthuis, A. M., & Volman, M. (2014). The role of school in adolescents' identity development. A literature review. Educational Psychology Review, 26(2), 153-170.
Yeh, C. J. (2010). Multicultural and contextual considerations in the study of stress and coping among Asian American youth. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 1(1), 55-69.
Zimmermann, G., Mohr, C., & Spangenberg, L. (2017). Dysfunctional Family Relationships and Adolescent Psychopathology. Journal of Adolescence, 59, 77-86.
Zullig, K. J., Koopman, T. M., Patton, J. M., & Ubbes, V. A. (2015). Family functioning and life satisfaction in adolescents: The role of social competence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 57(5), 527-534.
Jaafar, S. N. J., Azam, N. D., Rosnon, M. R., & Ma’rof, A. A. (2024). Family Functioning, Family Social Support, And Life Satisfaction among School Adolescents in the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) Area in Johor, Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(12), 694–702.