| This study focuses on generational boundary dissolution between mothers and children, a type of relationship disturbance involving distortions or inversions in parent-child roles. Boundary dissolution occurs when the child becomes the parent's peer, intimate partner, caretaker, or assumes a leadership role in relation to the parent. Although this relationship pattern has received some theoretical attention, particularly from family systems theorists, it has been subject to minimal empirical study. In this study, a number of theoretically derived predictions about generational boundary dissolution were investigated.; Subjects for this study were 176 mother-child dyads who are part of an ongoing prospective study. Different forms of boundary dissolution were assessed from observations of mother-child interactions when the child was aged 42 months and 13 years. Mother interview data were used to assess: role-reversal in the mother's own childhood history, aspects of her relationship with husband/boyfriend, quality of emotional support, and life stress. The child's social-emotional functioning at grade six was assessed using teacher ratings and rankings of behavior problems, emotional health/self-esteem and social competence.; Results provided some confirmation of theoretically derived predictions, but often differed by the sex and/or age of the child and by the type of boundary dissolution. In general, moderate continuity in boundary dissolution from early childhood to early adolescence was demonstrated. Boundary dissolution also related to role-reversal/ "spousification" in the mother's own childhood history, to some aspects of her partner relationship (dissatisfaction and alcohol/drug abuse of partner), and to the quality of emotional support available to her. Children who were high on boundary dissolution with their mothers in early childhood had more externalizing behavior problems and were less emotionally healthy as compared to those low on boundary dissolution. These results provide some evidence for the validity of the construct of generational boundary dissolution. |
