Family Well-being, What Makes a Difference? Study Based on a Representative Sample of Parents and Children

Why are some families happier than others? Why do some parents and children have higher levels of wellbeing than others? These questions are of interest to everyone but are of particular interest to family researchers and to those concerned with family policy and services. Everyone knows that families are important but how exactly do they influence our well-being? That is the key question at the heart of this study. The study involved surveying a representative sample of 1,500 households where there was at least one child under the age of 18 in order to identify the different family types in Ireland. In addition, we carried out an in-depth study where the parents (or parent) and one child (aged 11-16) completed a questionnaire. A total of 250 families were included, divided into four different family types