Healthy Families

For most individuals, the family environment and family relationships have the biggest impact on life outcomes. Positive family relationships can help children and young people flourish, but adverse experiences can negatively impact their wellbeing and subsequent development.

Research shows the quality of family relationships is more important than their size or composition. Whoever the family is made up of, they can build strong, positive relationships that promote wellbeing and support children and young people’s mental health.

The key qualities of a strong family unit identified by Australians in the Family Strengths Research Project were: 

• communication – listening to each other and communicating with openness and honesty
• togetherness – sharing similar values and beliefs that create a sense of belonging and bonding
• sharing activities – spending time together doing things they enjoy (for example, sports, reading, camping or playing games)
• affection – showing affection and care regularly through words, hugs, kisses and thoughtfulness 
• support – offering and asking for support, with family members knowing they will receive help, encouragement and reassurance from one another
• acceptance – understanding, respecting and appreciating each family member’s unique qualities
• commitment – seeing family wellbeing as a first priority and acting accordingly with commitment and loyalty
• resilience – being able to tolerate difficulties and adapt to changing situations in positive ways.

The biggest challenges in family relationships were highlighted as communication breakdown, parenting issues and difficult relationship dynamics.

Go to https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au to read more about getting the support you need for a healthy family.