The biobehavioral family model with a seminarian population: A systems perspective of clinical care.

Seminary students remain unstudied in the research literature despite their eminent role in caring for the wellbeing of congregants. This study aimed to conduct baseline analysis of their family of origin health, psychological health, and physiological heath by utilizing the Biobehavioral Family Model (BBFM) as a conceptual framework for understanding the associations between these constructs. Statistical analysis utilizing structural equation modeling provided support that the BBFM was a sound model for assessing the relationships between these constructs within a seminary sample. Additionally, seminarians were found to have higher rates of anxiety and depression when compared to the general population. Together, findings indicate that clinical care for seminarians may be best if implemented from a global systemic perspective.

In Our Lives and Under Our Skin: An Investigation of Specific Psychobiological Mediators Linking Family Relationships and Health Using the Biobehavioral Family Model.

The objective of this study was to use the Biobehavioral Family Model (BBFM) to delineate which psychophysiological variables link romantic and family relationship satisfaction variables to health outcomes. Data from individuals who reported being partnered from the second wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS II), Project 4 (n = 812) were used to test a structural equation model which explored which psychophysiological variables potentially mediated associations between positive and negative family emotional climate variables and disease activity. This model found that current and past family variables had larger associations with the psychophysiological variables than romantic partner variables; depressive symptoms, anxiety, and inflammation partially mediated associations between family relationships and health; and, contrary to the hypotheses, romantic partner and family support were linked to worse health outcomes. However, the findings should be viewed with regard to the cross-sectional design of the study. Overall, the findings support the use of the BBFM as a model that can guide clinical interventions.

El objetivo de este estudio fue usar el Modelo Bioconductual Familiar (BBFM, por sus siglas en inglés) para describir qué variables psicofisiológicas vinculan las variables de satisfacción en las relaciones amorosas y familiares con el estado de salud. Se utilizaron datos de personas que informaron estar asociadas desde el Proyecto 4 de MIDUS II (n = 812) para evaluar un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales que analizó qué variables psicofisiológicas posiblemente mediaron las asociaciones entre las variables del clima emocional familiar negativo y positivo y la actividad de la enfermedad. Este modelo descubrió que las variables familiares actuales y pasadas tuvieron mayores asociaciones con las variables psicofisiológicas que las variables de la pareja sentimental. Los síntomas depresivos, la ansiedad y la inflamación mediaron parcialmente las asociaciones entre las relaciones familiares y la salud; y contrariamente a las hipótesis, la pareja sentimental y el apoyo familiar estuvieron ligados a un peor estado de salud. Sin embargo, los resultados deberían considerarse teniendo en cuenta el diseño transversal del estudio. En general, los resultados respaldan el uso del BBFM como un modelo que puede guiar las intervenciones clínicas.