ISSN: 2320-5407 Int. J. Adv. Res. 6(8), 602-607 602 Journal Homepage: -www.journalijar.com Article DOI:10.21474/IJAR01/7558 DOI URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/7558 RESEARCH ARTICLE EFFECT OF FAMILY ENVIRONMENT ON MENTAL HEALTH OF NURSING STUDENTS. Dr. Neerja Shukla. Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University, Dehradun. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Manuscript Info Abstract ……………………. ……………………………………………………………… Manuscript History Received: 13 June 2018 Final Accepted: 15 July 2018 Published: August 2018 Keywords:- Family Environment, Mental Health, Nursing Students Positive family environment is one of the pre-requisites for healthy growth and development of its members. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of family environment on mental health of nursing students. Family environment was assessed by the Indian adaptation of Family Environment Scale (Joshi and Vyas, 1987), initially developed by Moos and Moos. In consonance with the declaration of the WHO (2004), wherein mental health has been defined as a state of well-being, Ryff’s Psychological Well-being Scale (Ryff, 1989) was used to measure mental health. A total of 417 female nursing students from 11 colleges of Punjab State comprised the study sample. The findings of the study presented a mixed picture of relationships between various dimensions of family environment with different levels of mental health. A significant relationship was established between underlying sets of family relationship and personal growth dimensions with mental health. However, such a relationship was not established with underlying set of system maintenance dimensions. Findings of the study may help the teachers and counsellors to develop an insight while handling problems related to interpersonal relations and academic performance of the students. Copyright, IJAR, 2018,. All rights reserved. …………………………………………………………………………………………………….... Introduction: Family is the primary unit of the society which takes care of the material, physical and emotional needs of its members. Family environment is crucial for the mental health of the family members. Goleman (1997) has considered family to be the first school for emotional learning. Positive family environment is one of the pre- requisites for healthy growth and development of members of a family. Good family relationships promote pro- social aspects of temperament, self-confidence, competence, autonomy and comfort in gaining independence (Moos and Moos, 2002). Shek (1997) concluded that family factors play an important role in influencing the psychosocial adjustment, particularly the positive mental health. Perceptions of parenting styles, family functioning and parent-adolescent conflict were found to be significantly related to mental health. Family environment has been seen as a vital link for understanding mental and physical health across the life span. Repetti, Taylor and Seeman (2002) have indicated that risky families having conflict and aggression, combined with their cold, unsupportive and neglectful relationships accumulate risks for mental disorders. Moos and Moos (2002) found that those children who were living in supportive and organised families were more likely to have increased self-confidence and social competence. Corresponding Author: Neerja Shukla. Address: Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University, Dehradun. .