Exploring the interplay between individual and family functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Family relationships are central to an individual’s development and influence their emotional, relational, and social trajectories. Optimal family functioning, encompassing emotional connections, communication patterns, and coping mechanisms, is pivotal to the well-being of individual family members, especially during challenging periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. From this perspective, this study, conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, assessed the interplay between individual and family functioning. Utilizing Hill's ABC-X model, we explored how the pandemic (stressor) impacted family dynamics (resources), perceived individual affectivity and family efficacy (perception), thereby influencing family quality of life (outcome). Four hundred and four participants completed a battery of standardized questionnaires to evaluate perceived individual affectivity during the pandemic, family quality of life, family dynamics (cohesion, flexibility, and communication), family conflict, family efficacy, and family coping strategies. Positive affectivity was associated with better family quality of life and more adaptive family coping strategies. The sample reported a low family quality of life and low family cohesion, flexibility, and communication during the pandemic. A positive sense of family cohesion, flexibility, and communication was associated with better individual well-being, better family quality of life and efficacy, and less conflict. Family communication was the strongest predictor of family quality of life in the study sample. In conclusion, our results emphasize the importance of strengthening family and individual resilience in transforming post-pandemic challenges into psychological and familial growth opportunities.