Family Strength During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

Research on family strength is growing. Limited work has been studied about family strength during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. This qualitative online survey studied on 65 participants, aged 27–57 years (M = 40.85, SD = 6.8), to explore the characters of Indonesian family strength during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. This research discovered eight characters of Indonesian family strength, namely:(1) intense and open communication, (2) intimacy and time together, (3) cooperation and division of roles, (4) finding solutions to problems, (5) implementing health protocols, (6) financial stability, (7) religiosity/spiritual well-being, and (8) grateful and optimistic. These eight characters coupled with two other areas, (9) self-development, and (10) concern for the needs of others, become 10 areas that growing up in families during the pandemic. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on characters of family strength when facing crises and uncertainties.

Hardships & Resilience: Families in a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created unique hardships for families with school-aged children. To better understand these hardships, we asked the question: How did family units of various racial and socioeconomic backgrounds experience the pandemic? Qualitative phenomenology was the methodological basis for this study, and the Double ABC-X Model of Family Behavior was applied to analyze how the pandemic and racial tensions that occurred in the past 18 months affected families. We specifically focused on including the voices of minoritized populations as they are less often represented in phenomenological research. Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted with families from Minnesota and Illinois. NViVo was used to code and analyze the interviews. Five themes were identified which demonstrated family strength and experience of hardship: resilience, boundaries, community support, fear, and communication.

Kualitas Hidup Remaja Berstatus Sosial Ekonomi Rendah: Bagaimana Kontribusi Resiliensi Keluarga?

Adolescents from low socioeconomic status are prone to have poor quality of life. To gain optimal functioning, it is important to ensure they experience good quality of life. This study aims to examine whether family resilience affect quality of life among adolescent from low socioeconomic status in Jakarta. There were 130 participants in this quantitative study. Convenience sampling were applied to select participants. We used Indonesian version of WHOQoLBREF to assess quality of life and Walsh Family Resilience Questionnaire to assess family resilience. Data were analyzed by regression analysis and stated family resilience has significant positively contribution to quality of life among participants. For each dimension, the contribution of family resilience to quality of life was 7% to 16.4%. It may indicate that family strength-based approach should be added in developing intervention to enhance quality of life among adolescents from low socioeconomic status in Jakarta.