Social Work Today E-Zine

New research at the University of Haifa found that young adults who maintain a close or moderate relationship with their parents exhibit greater independence in their personal lives than those who have a distant relationship. In her research, Irit Yanir, PhD, evaluated how a parent-child relationship is connected to the ability to fulfill society's expectations in terms of settling down and establishing an intimate relationship. Yanir conducted in-depth interviews with psychologists, parents, and young adults between the ages of 23 and 27. An additional 100 families (father, mother, and child) completed 300 surveys as part of the study.

While a close relationship is often viewed as a sign of dependence, the research results show that those with close relationships with their parents were more financially self-sufficient, more independent in their day-to-day lives, professionally stable, felt more mature, and were more likely to be involved in a stable intimate relationship. Those who maintained distant relationship with their parents and tended to make choices out of a need to rebel against their parents' expectations and were less independent into their late 20s. "The research found that following adolescence, the familial connection is an important factor in forming one's identity and living an independent life. It seems that not only can independence and closeness exist together, but they actually flourish together," summarizes Yanir.

— Source: University of Haifa