What is a consequence of diffuse boundaries in Structural Family Therapy?

The consequence of diffuse boundaries in Structural Family Therapy is enmeshment, where family members become overly involved in each other's lives. This occurs because diffuse or weak boundaries do not adequately define the roles and responsibilities of individual family members. When boundaries are not well established, it can lead to individuals becoming too intertwined, having little independence from one another.

In such scenarios, personal identities may become blurred, and family members might engage in excessive emotional involvement or control over each other. This dynamic can hinder personal growth and autonomy, making it challenging for individuals to develop their identities outside the family unit.

The other aspects, such as having clear distinctions among subsystems or promoting strong individual identities, are characteristics of healthy boundaries rather than diffuse ones, which would create a lack of definition and contribute to the enmeshment phenomenon. Therefore, enmeshment effectively illustrates the consequences of diffuse boundaries in the context of Structural Family Therapy.