Systemic Family Dynamics and Well-Being in Highly Educated Adults During the COVID-19 in China: A Longitudinal Survey

Crisis and stress are threats to family relationships and well-being in highly educated adults. This longitudinal survey evaluated well-being and systemic family dynamics during the early months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and 8-month follow-up in highly educated Chinese adults who are more likely to seek and enter psychotherapy. Self-designed sociodemographic characteristic questionnaire, index of well-being and index of general affect, Self-rating Scale of Systemic Family Dynamics at two timepoints (8-month follow-up) during the COVID-19 pandemic were used. Structural equation modeling and analyses of variances were applied. Results indicated a modified model fits well for both data in the early months of COVID-19 and 8-months later. The relationship between systemic family dynamics and well-being (beta = 0.61 vs. 0.57) and the relationship between systemic family dynamics and its subscale individuation (beta = 0.88 vs. 0.80) were moderated by the pandemic (C.R. = 2.09 vs. 2.48, p < .05). Some subscales of well-being and systemic family dynamics significantly increased overtime during the pandemic (p <.001). The results suggest that well-being and systemic family dynamics and their associations are changed and influenced by the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic for highly educated adults. Systemic family dynamics could be a potential protective factor against adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on well-being.