Not to be conflated with the family structure/unit, the environment is the conditions, circumstances, norms, and resources surrounding a family. The interaction between family and environment is bidirectional, and individual family members may perceive the same environmental stimuli differently. 


Family Environment

Consisting of conversational and conformity dimensions, family communication patterns theory conceptualizes the way family heirarchies make decisions, transmit attitudes and beliefs, relate to one another, and elicit support. 

Family Communication Patterns Theory

In the discipline of psychology, routines are defined as organized, predictable, and intentional sets of behaviors repeated frequently in day to day life. Routines can include physical and mental components and can involve some or all family members. 
Routines can provide environmental and emotional stability within households.

Family Routines

Family dynamics encompass the ways in which individual members interact with each other based on their hierarchies, roles, and identities, and how familial relationships are perceived. Elements of family dynamics include:

• Structure

• Cohesion 

• Conflict style 

• Parenting style 

Family Dynamics

Introduced by Murray Bowen in the 1950s, family systems theory views households as emotional units with family members having interconnected lives and behavioral processes. Family environments, structures, routines, and relationships influence the development of each individual.

Grand Valley State University

The collective well-being, health behaviors, communication patterns, and relational stability of a family unit. Relationships and family environment can play a large role in psychological and physical health.


Family systems theory, family communication patterns theory, and other research in family health provide a social development perspective in health psychology.

Family Health

Important and/or general theories relevant to the field of Health Psychology
-	Attachment Theory
-	Family Systems Theory


Theories in Health Psychology

Smith, S. L., DeGrace, B., Ciro, C., Bax, A., Hambrick, A., James, J., & Evans, A. (2017). Exploring families’ experiences of health: Contributions to a model of family health. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 22(10), 1239–1247. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2017.1319069

Exploring families’ experiences of health: Contributions to a model of family health

Family Systems Theory

Also known as the causal variables, mediating factors for optimal family health include reflectiveness and adaptability. The processes of seeking understanding from one another and problem-solving indicate the importance of intentionality in maintaining healthy relationships and lifestyles.

Factors Mediating Family Health 

Balance, "all-togetherness", and living purposefully are associated with collective health promotion behaviors as well as environmental stability within the family unit. Choosing to prioritize family relationships and events and including all members in communication and decision-making are some strategies families can use to improve functioning.

Factors Supporting Family Health

Family identity and challenging circumstances can determine how a given household will respond to an event and how resiliently they behave. Family identity consists of the shared beliefs, customs, and tastes a unit has. Challenging circumstances weaken bonds and create a disconnect that can increase the impact of external stressors. Families with strong values and high emotional attunement fare better during stressful times.

Factors Influencing Family Health

Sleep hygiene habits can be influenced by other family members and are often mimicked. Depending on the functionality of the family dynamic, poor habits promoted within the household can increase risk for hypertension, especially in youth.

Family Dynamics in Sleep Health and Hypertension

Attachment theory is a psychological, evolutionary, and ethological theory concerning relationships between humans. This theory focuses on understanding the functions of a close bond with an attachment figure such as a parent or spouse. It was formulated by psychiatrist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby.

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