Pakistan Journal of Professional Psychology: Research and Practice Vol. 12, No. 2, 2021
Family Functioning, Growth Initiative and Psychological Wellbeing in Postgraduate
Students
*
Tabinda Masood
Dimensions Institute for Autism, Special Education, Physical Rehabilitation & Psychological Services,
Lahore, Pakistan
Tehreem Arshad
University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
A correlational research design was employed to investigate the impact of family functioning
and personal growth initiative (PGI) on psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students. The
hypotheses of this study were that there is a positive relationship between family functioning,
personal growth initiative (PGI) and psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students. It was
also hypothesized that family functioning and personal growth initiative (PGI) would predict
psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students. Sample comprised of N = 198 postgraduate
students (M = 24, SD = 2.74) from Higher Education Comission (HEC) recognized universities.
Measures included Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein et al., 1983), Personal Growth
Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II; Robitschek et al.,2012) and Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale
(PWB; Ryff, 1989). A positive significant correlation was found among the variables. Also, two
subscales of Family Assessment Device (FAD) i.e., Affective Involvement and General Family
Functioning along with Readiness for Change scale of Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II
(PGIS-II) were found to be strong predictors of psychological wellbeing. Thus, the significance
of family functioning along with PGI with regard to psychological wellbeing, has been
highlighted in this study.
Keywords: personal growth initiative, family functioning, regression analysis,
psychological wellbeing.
Family is an important institute that not only nourishes its members but also influences
and shapes one’s developmental, psychological and social aspects. Hence, the overall
functioning and personality of an individual is influenced by the functioning of family on the
whole. The healthy family environment and functioning can lead to healthy outcomes such as
better wellbeing, adjustments, coping styles, PGI etc. (Burke et al., 2018).
Family is a unique psychosocial structure in which every member pursues their needs and
goals, and the entire structure functions in a multidirectional and circular pattern to preserve the
homeostasis (Babar et al., 2020).The systems approach explained by Epstein and Bishop (1973)
perceives family as an open structure based on systems inside systems. This may include
individual, marital, or dyads which connect to other systems such as family, educational
institutes, religion and work places. The progressive family could not be merely bound to
individuals’ distinctiveness or connections among braces of members. However, there are many
overt and embedded conventions of the family and actions by individual members which
influence one another’s behavior in this group (Zulkifli et al., 2017). This approach is further
basis for the McMaster model of family functioning (1978), which underlies some major facets
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ms. Tabinda Masood, Dimensions: Institute for
Autism, Special Education, Physical Rehabilitation & Psychological Services, Lahore, Pakistan. Email:
tabinda1991@gmail.com
FAMILY FUNCTIONING, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND WELLBEING OF STUDENTS 45
of the systems theory. The facets include that each component of the family is associated with
another, and one element of the family cannot be apprehended in segregation from the rest
(Mansfield et al., 2019). The McMaster model based on the systems approach focuses on six
dimensions family functioning including communication, affective responsiveness, problem
solving, roles, behavioral control and affective involvement. Each dimension provides a
complete understanding of the family as a unit.
Research on family has shown that family not only influences adolescents and children,
but also adults. Fallat and Wright (2017) determined the importance of family members’
communication regarding the quality of family associations, satisfaction and relationships among
university students. This entails chief role of family on adults such as affiliation in socialization
(Lee, 2018). Family functioning has many outcomes including mental health and psychological
wellbeing, which suggests that a family having healthy and efficient functioning, results in the
satisfactory level of mental health of its members (Lu et al., 2017). Robitschek et al. (2019) as
well as Cheung et al. (2019) revealed that family functioning had a significant positive
correlation with coping strategies as well as psychological well-being. In addition, Davids et al.
(2016) showed that family functioning is one of the predictors of PGI.
PGI is a skill including one’s psychological and behavioral intentions to grow and is
influenced by family functioning as stated earlier (Shigemoto & Robitschek, 2020; Zaman &
Naqvi, 2018). According to psychologists it is exceedingly advantageous to be aware of purpose,
behavior patterns as well as the capability to modify these in an optimistic way (Aranha &
Premanand, 2019). Hence, the process through which an individual is concerned with deliberate
change in themselves, and is enthusiastically and intentionally involved in the process of change
in the domains of the life, is known as PGI (Soylu et al., 2021). Individuals who have a higher
PGI, have awareness of personal modifications and take deliberate actions regarding searching
for and taking benefit of chances for persistent improvement which is predicted by family
functioning. In other words, family functioning plays a vital role in strengthening PGI (van
Woerkom & Meyers, 2019; Weigold et al., 2018).
The construct of PGI originated in the late 1990s which was first conceptualized by
Robitschek (1998) as a uni-dimensional construct based on cognitions. Lately, Robitschek et al.
(2012) conceptualized it as multifaceted, consisting of two separate aspects involving cognitive
and behavioral dimensions, (Beri & Jain, 2016). The construct is built on the significance of
constant individual growth through life to be a healthy being, as individual encounters new
challenges, alterations, and experiences (Ivtzan et al., 2011). The reviews revealed PGI to be
interrelated with several variables such as psychological well-being, self-efficacy, family
functioning, parental alcoholism, career exploration, and mental health (Sharma & Rani, 2013).
A study focused on people's personal growth at variant ages, and concluded that students in
colleges have higher growth as compared to adults, as college time is considered a duration of
mindful growth (Lee, 2018).
As mentioned earlier, the construct of PGI is built on the notion of persistent personal
growth through life as an individual, encountering new challenges, changeovers, and experiences
(Polumbo & Proitti, 2018). Thus, adults are faced with lots of transitions and challenges in life,
as well as responsibilities and jobs as well. PGI helps them on the path of personal growth and
adjustability in new situations (Robitschek et al., 2019). PGI is a crucial concept enhancing well-
being of individuals and empirical evidences suggests that it not only enhances wellbeing, but
also works as a mediator between the crisis and one’s mental health particularly related to family
functioning (Weigold et al., 2020). Also, Noor et al. (2020) found that adolescents having a
46 MASOOD AND ARSHAD
higher level of PGI show greater psychological well-being, as compared to those who have a low
PGI level. The concept of psychological well-being was initially proposed by Carol Ryff (1989)
(as cited in Matud et al., 2019) who studied psychological well-being and individual’s
psychological functioning by focusing on life experiences of people and their understanding
which influenced their well-being. The Ryff’s psychological wellbeing is based on six
dimensions of positive psychological health including self-acceptance, positive relations with
others, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth (Villarosa &
Ganotice, 2018).
This study aimed to investigate the correlation amongst family functioning, PGI and
psychological wellbeing, as it was evident that family functioning has positive correlation with
psychological wellbeing (Kaur & Singh, 2017) as well as PGI (Robitschek etal., 2019). The
current study’s focus was to find a correlation between the variables. Another focus was to find
out whether the family functioning and PGI predicts psychological wellbeing or not.
Being part of a collectivistic culture, the role of family in an individual’s life cannot be
ignored. Hence, the major researches in the field of family are based on adolescents and children.
So, the study was carried out to highlight the importance of family in adult’s life (Wong, 2012).
Also, the existing literature suggests that PGI is an important skill which may also prevent one
from developing distress or depression symptoms (Matsu, 2019). So, individuals with higher PGI
may be able to look ahead of obscurities and make efforts to overcome their problems better as
compared to individuals having low PGI. Unfortunately, adolescents and adults are more prone
towards psychological distress and depression. Therefore, the present research study will also
help to ascertain about the relationship between these variables, and identify the influence of
family functioning on PGI. Consequently, the findings could be used to emphasize the need for
counseling centers or curriculum modifications in order to enhance PGI of postgraduate students
as well as to improve family functioning, which might help in improvement of psychological
wellbeing.
Objectives of the Study
Following were the objectives of the study:
To find out the relationship amongst family functioning, PGI and psychological
wellbeing in postgraduate students
To assess family functioning and PGI as predictors of psychological wellbeing in
postgraduate students.
Hypotheses of the Study
The study had the following hypotheses: (a) There would be a positive relationship
between family functioning, PGI and psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students. (b)
Family functioning and PGI would predict psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students.
Method
Research Design
Co-relational research design was employed to explore the relationship amongst family
functioning, PGI and psychological well-being in postgraduate students.
Sample
A sample of day scholar postgraduate students from both private and government
universities were selected by employing purposive sampling strategy. The age range of
FAMILY FUNCTIONING, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND WELLBEING OF STUDENTS 47
postgraduate students was 20 to 32 years (M = 24.00, SD = 2.74). A total 207 postgraduate
students were selected, but later on 9 questionnaires were discarded due to missing data. Thus,
the final data comprised N = 198 postgraduate students (n = 100 men & n = 98 women), 117
from the government sector and 81 from private sector universities.
Assessment Measures
Family Assessment Device (FAD; Epstein et al., 1983)
The FAD developed by Epstein et al. (1983) is a 60-item scale with a 4-point Likert-type
scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. It is based on 6 domains, measuring family
functioning including Problem Solving, Communication, Roles, Affective Responsiveness,
Affective Involvement, and Behavior Control along with General Functioning scale. The high
scores on FAD depicts ineffective family functioning whereas low scores illustrate healthy or
effective family functioning. The FAD has Chronbach’s alpha values ranging from .74 to .92 for
its subscales and .78 in overall scale, and hence, a reliable instrument.
Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II; Robitschek et al., 2009)
The PGIS-II, developed by Robitschek et al. (2009), is a revised multidimensional scale
which measures the complex processes of PGI. It has 4 subscales including Planfulness,
Readiness for Change, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior. The ratings are on a Likert
scale starting from 1 to 6 i.e., Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree. The internal consistency of
PGIS-II was over .90 plus test-retest reliability was over .60 across multiple time intervals for the
subscales and overall score across samples.
Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale (PWB; Ryff, 1989)
Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB) was developed by Ryff (1989). It consists
of 54 items based on high scores versus low scores in six dimensions i.e. Autonomy, Positive
Relations with Others, Purpose in Life, Self-acceptance, Environmental Mastery and Personal
Growth. Each domain contains 7 items. The items are rated on 0 to 6 scales ranging from
strongly disagree to strongly agree. The original version of the scale provided internal
consistency for each sub-scale to be high. They ranged between .86 for autonomy and .93 for
relation with others. The construct validity of the scale is high (Schultz, 2011).
Procedure
After conducting a pilot study on 10 participants, the main study was conducted in which
first the Directors/Principals or Vice Rectors of different universities were approached for
permission after explaining the purpose of the research, ensuring confidentiality. Then the
administration was carried out in group setting after taking consent from the participants in the
study and explaining them the researcher’s affiliated university, department, and research topic
to fulfil the ethical requirement of research. After the questionnaires were filled the researcher
collected the forms from the participants.
Ethical Considerations
Ethical considerations were also followed by taking the written consent from the
participants, ensuring volunteer participation and confidentiality. Also, participants were assured
that they could draw back from research whenever they wanted to. After the procedure,
participants were thanked for their cooperation.
48 MASOOD AND ARSHAD
Results
The Cronbach's alphas of scales and subscales are given below in Table 1.
Table 1
Psychometric Properties for the FAD and its Subscales
Scales
M
SD
Range
Cronbach’s α
Family Assessment Device
125.05
13.13
75-153
.75
Problem Solving
10.05
1.91
5-19
.41
Communication
14.07
1.25
6-21
.21
Roles
20.16
2.63
14-28
.40
Affective Responsiveness
15.08
2.49
8-22
.32
Affective Involvement
17.88
2.80
9-26
.43
Behaviour Control
21.52
3.17
10-31
.54
General Family Functioning
26.56
4.64
12-37
.34
The value of Cronbach’s alpha for FAD is .75 which indicates that the scale’s reliability
is good. The Cronbach alpha values of subscales’ show average range.
Table 2
Psychometric Properties for the PGIS-II and its Subscales
Scales
M
SD
Range
Cronbach’s α
Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II
13.23
3.17
4-20
.87
Readiness for Change
13.48
3.75
2-20
.74
Planfulness
16.63
4.52
5-25
.78
Using Resources
9.32
2.91
1-15
.59
Intentional Behaviour
13.63
3.74
3-20
.75
The Cronbach’s alpha for PGIS-II is .87, showing its good reliability along with the
subscales as their Cronbach alpha’s values are also in good range.
Table 3
Psychometric Properties for the PWB and its Subscales
Scales
M
SD
Range
Cronbach’s α
PWB
198.84
21.44
162-287
.78
Autonomy
31.91
4.76
20-47
.63
Environmental mastery
32.79
4.62
22-48
.56
Personal Growth
34.45
5.56
18-52
.56
Positive Relation with Others
34.00
6.18
19-54
.57
Purpose in Life
33.25
5.39
23-52
.62
Self-acceptance
32.32
4.47
21-47
.57
FAMILY FUNCTIONING, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND WELLBEING OF STUDENTS 49
The Cronbach’s alpha value of PWB is .78 that also shows its high reliability. Also,
Cronbach’s alpha of its subscales shows its good reliability.
The first hypothesis that there would be a relationship between family functioning, PGI
and psychological functioning in postgraduate students was analyzed using the Pearson product
moment correlation. The results in Table 4 depicts that there is a significant negative correlation
between family functioning and PGI as the higher score of FAD shows ineffective family
functioning. Thus it is evident from the table that a postgraduate student having ineffective
family functioning will have low level of PGI. The results also revealed that ineffective family
functioning has significant negative correlation with traits of PGI including readiness for change,
planfulness, intentional behavior as well as using resources.
The significant relationships between the subscales of both FAD and PGIS-II illustrates
that the ineffective problem-solving results in decreased planfulness along with intentional
behavior, which are traits of PGI. Also, unhealthy communication is significantly negatively
correlated with PGI. Unhealthy role play has a negative correlation with readiness for change,
planfulness and intentional behavior. The affective responsiveness had a significant negative
correlation with readiness for change and planfulness, while the behavior control subscale
showed a significant negative correlation with readiness for change and intentional behavior.
General family functioning decreases individual’s readiness for change, planfulness and
intentional behavior.
Table 4 also revealed a significant negative correlation between family functioning and
psychological wellbeingg over various other domains such as ineffective problem-solving
negatively affects all the domains of psychological wellbeing except purpose in life. Similarly,
ineffective communication has a significant negative relationship with environmental mastery,
positive regards with other and self-acceptance domains of psychological wellbeing. Also,
ineffective affective responsiveness showed significant negative correlation with self-acceptance
and purpose in life. Other domains including affective involvement, roles and general family
functioning, as well as family assessment were found to be significantly negatively correlated
with psychological wellbeing, while unhealthy behavior control influences negatively all
domains of one’s psychological wellbeing except autonomy. The correlation between PGI and
psychological wellbeing was significantly positive. Moreover, details depicted that PGI’s trait
readiness for change had a significant positive correlation with environmental mastery, personal
growth, positive regards with others, self-acceptance and purpose in life of psychological
wellbeing. While planfulness is significantly positively correlated with psychological wellbeing
except for personal growth. Using resources had significant positive correlation with only
purpose in life and self-acceptance while intentional behavior was found to have significant
positive correlation with all subscales of psychological wellbeing except personal growth.
50 MASOOD AND ARSHAD
Table 4
Descriptive Statistics and Correlations for Family Functioning, PGI and Psychological Wellbeing.
Variables
M
SD
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
1. PS
10.05
1.95
-
.30
**
.20
**
.10
.04
.19
**
.43
**
.46
**
-.10
-.19
**
-.08
-.18
*
-.16
*
-.20
**
-.18
*
-.14
*
-.20
**
-.08
-.22
**
-.27
**
2. COM
14.07
2.35
-
.33
**
.30
**
.15
*
.22
**
.49
**
.60
**
-.15
*
-.20
**
-.20
**
-.20
**
-.22
**
-.10
-.27
**
-.06
-.28
**
-.07
-.28
**
-.29
**
3. ROL
20.16
2.63
-
.38
**
.44
**
.41
**
.52
**
.74
**
-.15
*
-.20
**
-.13
-.19
**
-.19
**
-.27
**
-.33
**
-.20
**
-.36
**
-.25
**
-.32
**
-.43
**
4. AR
15.08
2.49
-
.29
**
.21
**
.31
**
.55
**
-.20
**
-.15
*
-.12
-.13
-.17
*
-.13
-.13
-.08
-.09
-.15
*
-.26
**
-.21
**
5. AI
17.88
2.80
-
.36
**
.35
**
.60
**
-.12
-.10
-.08
-.18
*
-.14
-.20
**
-.20
**
-.25
**
-.31
**
-.27
**
-.26
**
-.37
**
6. BC
21.52
3.17
-
.39
**
.66
**
-.13
-.19
**
-.08
-.21
**
-.17
*
-.12
-.22
**
-.28
**
-.25
**
-.25
**
-.28
**
-.34
**
7. GFF
26.57
4.64
-
.83
**
-.23
**
-.27
**
-.09
-.29
**
-.26
*
-.28
**
-.37
**
-.21
**
-.36
**
-.26
**
-.44
**
-.48
**
8.Total FAD
125.05
13.13
-
-.21
**
-.27
**
-.16
*
-.29
**
-.27
**
-.29
**
-.37
**
-.29
**
-.42
**
-.30
**
-.47
**
-.53
**
9. RFC
13.48
3.75
-
.82
**
.40
**
.76
**
.88
**
.33
**
.34
**
.09
.26
**
.21
**
.42
**
.38
**
10. PF
16.63
4.53
-
.45
**
.79
**
.90
**
.35
**
.30
**
.07
.21
**
.18
*
.49
**
.36
**
11. US
9.32
2.91
-
.53
**
.71
**
.14
.01
-.11
.06
-.24
**
.47
**
.05
12. IB
13.63
3.74
-
.91
**
.33
**
.33
**
.10
.27
**
.17
*
.48
**
.39
**
13.TotalPGIS
13.23
3.17
-
.34
**
.28
**
.04
.23
**
.09
.55
**
.35
**
14. AUT
31.91
4.76
-
30
**
.23
**
.35
**
.23
**
.32
**
.56
**
15. EM
32.79
4.62
-
.24
**
.48
**
.44
**
.43
**
.68
**
16. PG
34.45
5.56
-
.50
**
.54
**
.23
**
.70
**
17. PRFO
34.01
6.18
-
.45
**
.40
**
.81
**
18. PIL
33.25
5.39
-
.25
**
.72
**
19. SA
32.32
4.47
-
.64
**
20. Total
PWB
198.84
21.44
-
Note. 1.PS=Problem Solving; 2.COM= Communication; 3.ROL=Roles; 4.AR=Affective Responsiveness; 5.AI=Affective Involvement; 6.BC=Behavior Control;
7.GFF=General Family Functioning; 8.FAD=Family Assessment Device; 9.RFC=Readiness for Change; 10.PF=Planfulness; 11.US=Using Resources; 12.IB=Intentional
Behavior; 13.PGIS=Personal Growth Initiative Scale; 14.AUT=Autonomy; 15.EM=Environmental Mastery; 16.PG=Personal Growth; 17.PRFO= Positive Regard for
Others; 18.PIL=Purpose in Life; 19.SA=Self-acceptance; 20.PWB= Psychological Wellbeing.
*p <.05. **p <.01.
FAMILY FUNCTIONING, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND WELLBEING OF STUDENTS 51
After correlation analysis, regression analysis with the forward method was conducted in
order to test the second hypothesis that family functioning and PGI will be significant predictors
of psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students. Psychological wellbeing was the outcome
variable, while subscale scores of family assessment device and PGI were entered as predictors.
Table 5
Predictors of Psychological Wellbeing from Family Functioning and PGI among Postgraduate
Students
Variables
Psychological Wellbeing
95 % CI
Model 1 B
Model 2 B
Model 3 Β
LL-UL
Constant
256.75
227.93
250.22
[226.89,273.57]
FAD scale7
-2.17***
-1.91***
-1.57***
[-2.17, -.97]
PGIS scale1
-
1.61***
1.57***
[.85,2.29]
FAD scale5
-
-
-1.72**
[-2.69, -.75]
R
2
.23
.30
.35
F
51.49***
37.50***
30.72***
ΔR
2
.26
.30
.34
ΔF
51.49
18.38
12.25
Note 1. Only significant predictors are mentioned
Note 2. CI=Confidence interval, LL= Lower limit, UL=Upper limit, FAD scale7=General Family Functioning
subscale, PGISscale1=Readiness for Change, FADscale5=Affective Involvement subscale,
*** p < .001.
The assumption of independent observation of error and the assumption of
multicollinearity was fulfilled. The analysis revealed the model to be highly significant (p <
.001), F (1,171) = 12.29. The results also depicted that general family functioning and readiness
for change and affective involvement were highly significant predictors (p < .001) of
psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students, while affective involvement was elicited as a
significant predictor (p = .001) of psychological wellbeing.
Discussion
The findings suggested that participants with ineffective family functioning have a low
level of PGI and psychological wellbeing. Hence, the hypothesis was accepted as there is a
significant relationship among variables of the study; family functioning, PGI and psychological
wellbeing. The significant correlation found in the present study was also evident from previous
studies as Robitschek et al. (2019) as well as Kaur and Singh (2017) reported that family
functioning affects the level of PGI in both men and women. So, it may be stated that family
having effective functioning will engage in the process of one's growth as effective family
functioning including better problem-solving abilities, communication skills, appropriate affects
and tendencies to act appropriately in danger situations will enhance one’s overall skills in
respective domains (Akram, 2019; Malik & Riaz, 2018). These findings could be attributed to
the cultural context, as in Pakistan’s collectivistic culture, one's self-image is highly dependent
on others appraisals which, in turn, impacts the individuals' growth initiative. An individual with
a healthy family set up will have better psychological wellbeing as he/she will have better self-
esteem and confidence level (Babar et al., 2020).
52 MASOOD AND ARSHAD
The present study also validated a significantly positive relationship between family
functioning and psychological wellbeing. These findings are also in line with another research
conducted by Cheung et al. (2019) who reported that family functioning was significantly related
to measures of adolescent psychological well-being, school adjustment and problem behavior.
The findings could be explained in terms of the cultural context, as in Pakistan, family setup and
support are considered as vital factors in one’s mental health. Individuals who live in a healthy
family environment tend to have a better psychological wellbeing as they have better self-esteem
and level of confidence. They also tend to exhibit appropriate communication skills and
emotional expressions (Oltean, 2019).
The significant relationship between PGIS-II, PWB and their subscales was found in the
present study which was also supported by a previous research study by Weigold et al. (2020).
They suggested a positive relation of PGI with psychological well-being and the opposite for
psychological distress. Similarly, Weigold et al. (2018) concluded that PGI was associated with
higher positive affect, and lower self-discrepancies among students. Similarly, another research
by van Woerkom and Meyers (2019) concluded that PGI and its three domains except ‘using
resources’ had significant positive relationship with mental health. In Pakistan, individuals are
rarely encouraged to be independent due to cultural expectations of being interdependent and
working in groups. So, an individual who plans for his independence and practically tries to
achieve individuation will consequently have enhanced self-esteem, self-reliance and better
decision making powers which may ultimately increase his psychological wellbeing, as they will
not only have tendencies to accept all aspects of their selves, but will also have a better power of
decision making for his own growth and individuation (Shah et al., 2019; Bornstein & Lansford,
2019).
The second hypothesis of the study was tested by regression analysis. The results of the
study suggested that family functioning and PGI were strong predictors of psychological
wellbeing. Therefore, the proposed hypothesis was partially accepted, as ‘’Readiness for
Change’’ subscale of PGIS-II and “affective involvement’’ and “general family functioning” of
FAD were proved to be strong predictors. Previously available studies also support the findings
of the present study. For example, studies conducted by Davids et al, (2016), Shigemoto and
Robitschek (2020) as well as Zaman and Naqvi (2018) suggested that PGI was a predictor of
mental health domains; psychological, emotional and social well-being. Thus, a person having
the tendencies and acceptance for change and agreeableness to change will consequently have
greater acceptance of their all aspects which will enhance their psychological wellbeing.
Family functioning proved to be a significant predictor psychological wellbeing in
present study. This is also in lines with previous research study conducted by Khan and Kamal
(2019) which reported that family functioning predicts psychological wellbeing. Results revealed
that individuals having families with affective involvement and general family functioning will
consequently have higher psychological wellbeing. Keeping in view the cultural context, it could
be said the family plays a vital role in individuals’ lives in Pakistan. Hence, individuals whose
family exhibits concern for each other and express their emotions and interest in each other’s
matters, have more feelings of relatedness and security (Shaikh, 2018).
Conclusion
Conclusively, a significant relationship is present among family functioning, PGI and
psychological wellbeing in postgraduate students. Individuals having healthy family functioning
will have better PGI and higher psychological wellbeing. They will have more tendencies of self-
improvement and will take more steps to bring positive changes within themselves and
FAMILY FUNCTIONING, PERSONAL GROWTH, AND WELLBEING OF STUDENTS 53
consequently, they will have better psychological wellbeing and mental health. In addition, the
findings also revealed PGI to be a significant predictor of psychological wellbeing which
signifies that postgraduate’s psychological wellbeing can be enhanced by working on their PGI
through counseling.
Limitations and Suggestions
Family assessment device is developed by the western culture and thus, could not cover
all the aspects of family functioning in a collectivist culture. Hence, an indigenous tool must be
devised to assess family functioning in a collectivistic culture. Also, as PGI is a new construct it
was difficult to explore the determinants and relations of the construct with various important
constructs. So, more research should be conducted in the respective field to explore the
predictors of this variable as well as to identify the effects on the lives of individuals across
different age groups. Besides this, the role of personality traits should also be studied with
reference to PGI.
Implications of Research Findings
The results of the current study validate the correlation of PGI with psychological
wellbeing. These findings could help to emphasize the need to include various courses in the
curriculum focusing on raising students’ self-awareness and to guide them towards personal
growth. Hence, counseling courses or centers, developed by universities and other educational
institutes should foster PGI. This would help individuals to enhance their skills to deal with
challenging situations and maintain their mental health.
It was also found that postgraduate students having a higher level of family functioning
also have higher psychological wellbeing. So, these findings could also help to emphasize the
need of interventions that may focus on enhancing the skills important in effective family
functioning such as communication, responsiveness, and ways to express emotions. This would
improve relationships with families and consequently lead to a greater sense of wellbeing.
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Contribution of Authors
Sr. No.
Author
Contribution
1.
Tabinda Masood
Write-up, Data Collection, Methodology
2.
Tehreem Arshad
Conceptualization, Critical Review