Introduction
Manuel Diego’s family has a history of dysfunction, which negatively affected the adolescent. A key influence is Diego’s father, Carlos, whose behavior is dictated by a problematic past. Carlos’ family has a history of alcoholism, which distanced him from relatives and led the man to control himself strictly, but did not help solve other problems.
Diego’s father became abusive, which determined his attitude towards his son and two other children and led to a divorce from the children’s mother, Rosalia. Manuel shows bipolar disorder signs, and depression symptoms are more explicit. Despite the negative influence of their father, Rosalia’s family contrasts with Carlos’s, and they have developed a close relationship, which serves as a source of support for the children.
Note. The genogram presents the family’s mental well-being, socio-economic position, and cultural and religious beliefs (Created by the author).
Economic Factors
The family’s financial situation exacerbated Carlos’s situation, which in turn deepened his abusiveness. His family was dysfunctional not only because of alcohol but also because of financial difficulties, and due to the problems in financial planning, the man also could not provide enough for the family. According to Smith and Mazure (2021), poor economic conditions often persist for several generations, limit access to care, such as mental health, and negatively affect parenting. Although the Rosalia family was not wealthy, they were able to support strong financial management skills for generations, which helped the mother support the children after the divorce.
Social Factors
The gender division and the view on this issue also affected the Diego family. For a long time, prejudices about masculinity were transferred in Carlos’s family and were seen as a traditional approach. Social pressures and expectations towards men lead to the suppression of emotions and unhealthy coping mechanisms (Mshana et al., 2022). As a result, Carlos’s grandfather, father, and brother were prone to drinking alcohol, and the man himself to abusiveness. Rosalia’s family was able to show her children another example. They are confident that regardless of gender, everyone plays a significant role in the family’s well-being and can achieve their goals in various spheres.
Cultural Factors
Culture and religion are two more critical influence factors for the Diego family. In particular, Carlos’s family originates from Latin America, which has a significant influence on the family dynamics. According to Caplan (2019), this cultural group is not inclined to seek mental health care. This trend was clearly evident on the paternal family side and contributed to the suppression of emotions and the avoidance of discussions about mental well-being. Moreover, emotional distance from the family has become an additional factor contributing to the lack of support and the subsequent inability to express it.
For Rosalia’s family, the most influential factor was faith, which supported the transfer of values of compassion and care for others. Moreover, religion often promotes resilience, and attending services fosters connections within the community, which serves as an additional factor in emotional support (Nguyen, 2020). Faith strengthened the Rosalia family’s penchant for support and empathy, which in turn influenced their approach to parenting.
Conclusion
Thus, the genogram shown in Figure 1 offers insights into the complex interplay of different systems within a single family. In particular, several negative influences are intertwined on the paternal side, such as the power of cultural and social biases about masculinity and care for mental well-being and financial problems. As a result, the family did not develop healthy coping strategies, which led several people to alcoholism and Carlos to abusive behavior.
Carlos’s character negatively affected his attitude towards his children and wife. The maternal side was able to soften the negative impact slightly due to close relations with each other, religious beliefs, and attitudes toward gender division. Family support from the mother’s side can have a significant positive impact on children.
References
Caplan, S. (2019). Intersection of cultural and religious beliefs about mental health: Latinos in the faith-based setting. Hispanic Health Care International, 17(1), 4-10.
Mshana, G., Peter, E., Malibwa, D., Aloyce, D., Kapiga, S., & Stöckl, H. (2022). Masculinity, power and structural constraints: Men’s conceptualization of emotional abuse in Mwanza, Tanzania. Social Science & Medicine, 292, 1-8.
Nguyen, A. W. (2020). Religion and mental health in racial and ethnic minority populations: A review of the literature. Innovation in Aging, 4(5), 1-13.
Smith, M. V., & Mazure, C. M. (2021). Mental health and wealth: Depression, gender, poverty, and parenting. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 17, 181-205.