Relationship between Family Violence and Psychological Stress Among Thai Young People: A Mixed-Methods Study in Pathum Thani Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59796/jcst.V16N3.2026.198Keywords:
family violence, psychological stress, young people, mental health, interparental conflict, mixed-methods researchAbstract
Family violence among young people remains a significant public health concern, yet primary care screening remains inconsistent in Thailand. To understand which specific types of violence most strongly predict adolescent stress and why these problems remain hidden during healthcare visits, we enrolled 350 young people aged 13 – 24 years from Pathum Thani Province between February and April 2025. Participants completed surveys measuring six types of violence, psychological stress using the ST-5 instrument, and family relationship quality. The 138 participants scoring ST-5 ≥ 8 subsequently completed in-depth interviews. Associations were analyzed using Pearson correlations and stepwise regression, and interview transcripts were then coded thematically.
Of the 365 young people approached, 350 participated, yielding a response rate of 95.9%. Violence exposure affected 46% of participants, while 39.5% demonstrated high-to-severe stress levels. Stepwise regression revealed that witnessing parental arguments was the only violence-related predictor independently associated with stress, accounting for 23.6% of the variance (β = .486, p < .001). Shared family activities provided modest protection (β = -.127, p = .007), increasing the total explained variance to 25.2%. Paradoxically, 57.1% of violence-exposed participants described their family relationships positively overall, reflecting the coexistence of violence and support within Thai family systems. Based on these findings, brief ST-5 screening combined with culturally adapted indirect inquiry about parental conflict may represent a promising direction for improving the detection in primary care settings, although prospective evaluation is required. Clinicians must recognize that violence and support can coexist within Thai families, requiring interventions that validate young people’s distress while preserving essential family bonds.
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