Yes, according to a 1997 U.S. study of 527 rural young people aged 12 to 18. The teens who ate an average of five meals each week with an adult relative were well-adjusted, while those who ate just three meals a week with an adult relative were more likely to be depressed or be taking drugs, and less likely to be hopeful about the future or to have good relationships with their peers. The family meal was a more reliable predictor of adjustment than age, gender and family structure. Something important may be happening during family meals that promotes adjustment, according to psychologists Blake Bowden of Cincinnati and Jennie Zeisz of Chicago. The Series Family Matters will appear each Friday with a full page tracking the lives of Canadian families in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, as well as examining other family issues.
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