THE EFFECT OF FAMILY COUNSELING ON THE MENTAL-HEALTH OF 10-11-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN IN LOW-RISK AND HIGH-RISK FAMILIES - A LONGITUDINAL APPROACH

This study investigated the effect of family counselling on the child's mental health in low- and high-risk families. The material consisted of 160 families with a baby born in 1975-76, First, the families were classified with a weighted risk index into low- and high-risk families. Eighty of the families attended a five-year-long family counselling program. The results of a ten year follow-up study showed that both the initial family risk and the counselling made a statistically significant contribution to the 10-11-year-old child's mental health. The counselling had a positive effect both in low- and high-risk families.