Family size and psychological functioning in the Orthodox Jewish community

Abstract

Caring for children is a known psychosocial stressor; however, its effects on psychological functioning may have substantial cross-cultural variance. We explored relationships between family size and a variety of psychological outcomes among Orthodox Jews in four separate studies: (1) an international treatment-seeking sample (n = 82), (2) a community sample from Canada (n = 226), (3) an out-patient clinical sample from greater New York (n = 82), and (4) a large dyadic sample of Israeli couples (n = 789). Surprisingly, results suggested that family size was not associated with greater stress, anxiety, depression, global functioning, family functioning, family communication, family satisfaction, or even parenting stress. It is possible that the high religious value placed on family life as well as structural adaptions in families buffer against potential stressors associated with child rearing, and further research on these potential effects is warranted.

Keywords:

• Orthodox
• Jewish
• family
• children
• stress

Notes

1 Additional analyses excluding single participants and excluding married/cohabitating participants with zero children, yielded similar results.

2 As in Study #1, additional analyses excluding single participants and excluding married/cohabitating participants with zero children, yielded similar results.

3 Despite the inclusion of a large number of ultra-Orthodox Jews in both samples, and recent findings suggesting that Internet use is increasingly accepted within the Orthodox community (Hack, 2007).

4 As in Studies #1 and #2, additional analyses excluding single participants and excluding married/cohabitating participants with zero children, yielded similar results.

5 As in Studies #1, #2 and #3, additional analyses excluding single participants and excluding married/cohabitating participants with zero children, yielded similar results.

6 Ultra-Orthodox included anyone identifying as “חרדי“ ,”ישבתי“ ,”ליטאי“ ,”חסיד”, and modern-Orthodox included “דתי לאומי“ ,”מודרנ”, and “מסורתי.”