Abstract:
This article reviews the sociological factors leading to family conflicts. Research
problem of the study was: How do effects of depression lead to conflicts in family?
The main objective of this study was to determine whether there is a relationship
between family conflicts and depression. The family is the basic unit of any society,
however, currently many changes are identified in family in relation to family
background. Additionally, if one of the family members suffers from depression, the
whole family would suffer a great setback and stressful environment. According to
the WHO (2006), almost 400,000 Sri Lankans experience serious mental disorders
due to family conflicts. This study used a purposive sampling method based on the
severity of problems and nature of the needs. The primary and the secondary method
used in the research to collect information were in-depth interviews carried out via
case studies. Accordingly, 12 case studies were used in this study. These case studies
were taken from selected unique people, who are experiencing family conflicts and
suffering from depression. This study was guided by thematic analysis and it exposes
that people, regardless of gender or age, are more likely to be depressed, which has
resulted in economic, social and psychological stress. This pressure has accelerated
conflict in family. Accordingly, a relationship between depression and family conflict
is identified, thus, research highlights the importance of the intervention of a social
worker to minimize these conflicts in oppressive situations.
