Parent-adolescent Conflict Research Articles

Psychometric properties of the Observing Mediational Interactions (OMI) coding system during mother-adolescent conflict discussions.

Observational assessments of parent-adolescent conflict can guide interventions to prevent and reduce conflict and mental health problems. The authors identified the Observing Mediational Interactions (OMI) as a particularly useful coding system for examining parent-adolescent conflict. The OMI is the observational measure used in the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) and quantifies emotional (attachment-based) and cognitive (learning-based) behaviors during caregiver-child interactions. The overall aim of the current study was to tailor and evaluate the OMI specifically for observing conflict interactions. Conflict discussions between 56 clinical youth aged 10-15 years and their mothers were coded using the OMI. Reliability, construct validity, and associations with affect following the conflict discussion were examined. Analyses revealed that the OMI demonstrated adequate internal consistency, interrater reliability, and construct validity in terms of associations with an alternate observational measure and parent-reported family functioning and stress. Additionally, mothers who engaged in fewer negative parenting behaviors reported greater positive affect following the conflict discussion, controlling for baseline affect. Taken together, findings support the use of the OMI in future studies. While further research should attempt to extend findings to other populations and settings and elaborate the coding instructions as needed, researchers can use the OMI to inform ongoing adaptations of MISC and identify targets for prevention and intervention more broadly.

Family resilience during the COVID-19 onset: A daily-diary inquiry into parental employment status, parent-adolescent relationships, and well-being.

COVID-19 changed the landscape of employment and financial security in the USA, contributing to multi-systemic disruptions in family life. Using dyadic, daily-diary parent-adolescent data from a nationwide American sample (18,415 daily assessments; 29 days: 4/8/2020-4/21/2020 and 5/18/2020-6/1/2020; N = 635 parent-adolescent dyads), this intensive longitudinal study investigated how COVID-19-related job loss and working-from-home (WFH) arrangements influenced parents' and children's daily affect indirectly through family functioning (i.e., parent-adolescent conflict, inter-adult conflict, and parental warmth) and whether these links varied by family socioeconomic status (SES). Parental employment status was linked to these family relational dynamics, which were then connected to parents' and adolescents' daily affect. Although SES did not moderate these links, low-income families were more likely to experience job loss, parent-adolescent conflict, and inter-adult conflict and less likely to WFH than higher-income families. As inter-relations within the family are a malleable point for intervention, clinicians working with families recovering from the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic are encouraged to use approaches that strengthen family relationships, especially between adolescents and their parents. Unemployment subsidies are discussed as a means to support families struggling with job loss, and organizations are urged to consider the benefits of WFH on employee health and work-life balance.

The Mediating role of Loneliness in the Relationship between Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the fit of the model of structural relationship between parent-adolescent conflict with emotional dysregulation, with the mediating role of loneliness in adolescents in Tehran.
 Methods: The statistical population of the study included adolescents aged 13 to 18 years in Tehran. Using available sampling method, 400 people (200 female adolescents and 200 male adolescents) were selected as the sample and used the Asadi and Younesi adolescent parent conflict questionnaire (1390), Russell (1996) revised feelings of loneliness, and Graz and Romer (2004) responded to emotional dysregulation. Structural equation model was used to analyze the data.
 Findings:The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and emotion dysregulation (p<0.05). Also, there is a positive and significant relationship between parent-adolescent conflict with emotional dysregulation with the mediating role of loneliness (p<0.05).
 Conclusion: Based on research findings, it can be concluded that feeling lonely with the occurrence of emotions such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue can play a mediating role between parent-adolescent conflict and emotion disorder.

Associations Between Adolescent Problematic Internet Use and Relationship Problems in Chinese Families: Findings from a Large-scale Survey.

Problematic internet use (PIU) is prevalent among Chinese adolescents. There is a need to better understand how the quality of parent-adolescent relationship is associated with adolescent PIU to guide the development of effective prevention and early intervention programs. This study aims to evaluate parent-adolescent conflict and parenting styles as potential risk factors associated with adolescent PIU. A sample of 6552 students (aged 10-19 years) from 22 schools in Guangdong, China, was recruited. The participants completed self-report questionnaires measuring their perceptions of conflict with their parents (involving verbal conflict, emotional abuse, and physical abuse) as well as their perceptions of their parents' parenting styles (including parental care and parental control as measured by the Parental Bonding Inventory), and PIU using the Adolescent Pathological Internet Use Scale. Grade level and gender were examined as moderators of these associations. Using multiple regression analyses, we found that greater mother-adolescent conflict, father-adolescent conflict, and parental control, and lower levels of parental care, were associated with higher levels of adolescent PIU (P<.001). The association between mother-adolescent conflict and PIU was stronger in older students than in younger students (P=.04), whereas the association between father-adolescent conflict and PIU was stronger in male students than in female students (P=.02). Compared with those who reported no mother-adolescent conflict, participants who experienced verbal conflict and emotional abuse, but not physical abuse from their mothers, reported higher levels of PIU (P<.001). Compared with those who reported no father-adolescent conflict, participants who experienced verbal conflict, emotional abuse, and physical abuse from their fathers had significantly higher levels of PIU (P<.001, P<.001, and P=.02, respectively). These findings point to the value of interventions to reduce parental verbal conflict, emotional abuse, and physical abuse, and to increase positive parenting styles, to lower the risk of PIU in Chinese adolescents.

1.91 A Group Intervention to Improve Caregiver-Adolescent Relationships in the Context of Adolescent Depression

Although conflict with parents was previously viewed as part of typical adolescent development, high levels of conflict are not normative and are often present alongside adolescent mental health problems, including depression. Secondary analyses of data from clinical trials suggests that parent-adolescent conflict may be a major factor that limits adolescent response to evidence-based depression treatments. However, no existing interventions have demonstrated efficacy for reducing the parent-adolescent relationship problems commonly present in adolescents with depression.

Emotional Reactivity to Daily Family Conflicts: Testing the Within-Person Sensitization.

Although the sensitization hypothesis posits that heightened reactivity to interparental conflict is linked to adolescent psychopathology, limited studies tested whether sensitization would emerge in parent-adolescent conflict and across ethnicity or culture. This study revisits the sensitization hypothesis by examining adolescent emotional reactivity to interparental and parent-adolescent conflicts on a daily timescale. The sample included 163 adolescents (55% girls; Mage = 12.79) and their parents (78% females; Mage = 45.46) who completed a 10-day reports in Taiwan. Multilevel modeling results showed that, instead of interparental conflict, adolescents with greater histories of parent-adolescent conflict exhibited higher emotional reactivity when parent-adolescent conflict was higher. The findings underscore the importance of parent-adolescent conflict in evaluating adolescent developmental risk.

The Effectiveness of Online Life Skills Training in Parent-Adolescent Conflicts and Adolescents’ Academic Procrastination during the Outbreak of COVID-19

The Effectiveness of Online Life Skills Training in Parent-Adolescent Conflicts and Adolescents’ Academic Procrastination during the Outbreak of COVID-19

Parent-adolescent Conflict during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In Vietnam, schools and businesses had to temporarily close due to the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, many families encountered financial difficulties, health issues, and a lack of social and physical activities, all of which negatively impacted adolescents’ mental and emotional health. This study attempts to comprehend better the psychological problems between adolescents and their parents in Vietnam, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Between June and July 2021, 239 adolescents were evaluated using the Issues Checklist Scale for a sociological survey. The findings indicate that the social separation policy causes conflict between adolescents and their parents. Home responsibilities and privileges, social life, and friendships are the points of contention between adolescents and their parents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when the social distance policy was implemented, 13- and 14-year-olds were more prone to dispute with their parents than 11- and 12-year-olds.

Parent-Adolescent Conflict, Depressive Symptoms, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among Chinese Adolescents: The Moderating Effect of the COMT Gene rs4680 Polymorphism.

Existing research suggests that parent-adolescent conflict is associated with increased risk for adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). However, adolescent NSSI reactions to parent-adolescent conflicts exhibit large individual differences. This study sought to explore whether depressive symptoms mediates the relationship between parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent NSSI, and whether this mediating process is moderated by the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism. A total of 673 adolescents (364 males, 309 females) in the age range of 12 to 15 years (Meanage = 12.81 years, SD = 0.48) completed questionnaires regarding parent-adolescent conflict, depressive symptoms, and NSSI. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva and buccal cells from each participant. Bootstrapping techniques displayed statistically significant moderated mediation. The results showed that the positive association between parent-adolescent conflict and adolescent NSSI was in fact mediated by depressive symptoms. Moreover, this indirect link was moderated by the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism. Specifically, the risk effect of parent-adolescent conflict on adolescent NSSI via depressive symptoms was stronger for adolescents with Val/Val genotype than for those with Met/Met or Val/Met genotype. These findings underscore the importance of examining the interaction between genes and the environment to understand how and when parent-adolescent conflict impacts adolescent NSSI.

How Does Parent-Adolescent Conflict and Deviant Peer Affiliation Affect Cyberbullying: Examining the Roles of Moral Disengagement and Gender

PurposeWith the widespread use of the Internet and mobile phone, cyberbullying has become a new type of bullying among adolescents. It is of great practical significance to explore the relevant factors affecting cyberbullying for prevention and intervention of adolescents’ cyberbullying. However, few studies have considered the effect of both the family and social factors on cyberbullying. Therefore, the current study examines whether the parent-adolescent conflict as a family factor and deviant peer affiliation as a social factor have an effect on adolescents’ cyberbullying, as well as the role of moral disengagement and gender.MethodsA total of 777 middle school students (females = 336; mean age = 13.57; SD = 0.98) were surveyed by using the Parent-child Relationship Questionnaire, Deviant Peer Affiliation Questionnaire, Moral Disengagement Questionnaire and Cyber Bullying Behavior Questionnaire. SPSS21.0 was used to conduct descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis and T-test, PROCESS were used to conduct significance test of moderated mediation effect on the data.ResultsParent-adolescent conflict does not directly predict cyberbullying. Moral disengagement played a complete mediating role between parent-adolescent conflict and cyberbullying, and gender played a moderating role between moral disengagement and cyberbullying. Deviant peer affiliation directly predict cyberbullying. Moral disengagement played a partially mediating role between parent-adolescent conflict and cyberbullying, and gender played a moderating role between moral disengagement and cyberbullying.ConclusionAttention should be paid to the effect of moral disengagement on cyberbullying in family and social factors, as well as the role of gender.

PEER PRESSURE INFLUENCE ON THE ADOLESCENT: THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATION STYLE IN CHARACTER MODELING

Purpose: This paper intends to help check parent-adolescent conflict, for one peer pressure influence is perhaps hyped at the peak of self-identification.&#x0D; Methodology: The paper adopted qualitative method, having proposed three polars of character modeling in the adolescent. Thus, the stage of communication, confrontation and conviction. The paper above all is a content analysis and as such employs secondary sources on peer pressure influence and family relations.&#x0D; Findings: At this stage of development, the stripling is usually in search of meaning and often times he finds such in the company of friends. This forum irrespective of what becomes of the future or the opinion of the parents. It then remains that one way to tame folks at this stage is by employing the right communication style. &#x0D; Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: It is then suggested that family counselors and human learning experts advance these styles to further tame teenage violence in home making.

A longitudinal test of acculturative family distancing theory explaining latino/a/x adolescents' adjustment

According to acculturative family distancing theory, adolescents' perceptions of cultural incongruencies with parents can diminish the quality of parent-adolescent relationships and, as a result, harm adolescent adjustment. Using four time points of data for a sample of 547 diverse Latino/a/x adolescents, this study examined how parent-adolescent relationship quality and acculturative family distancing were associated with changes in adolescent school performance and internalizing symptoms. At baseline, the school-based sample ranged from 11- to 14-years-old (M = 12.78) and included slightly more females (55%) than males (45%). Cross-lagged structural equation model results indicated that adolescent reports of greater acculturative family distancing were associated with adolescent perceived increases in parent-adolescent conflict and decreases in parental support. Conflict mediated associations between acculturative family distancing and decreased school performance. Associations between parent-child relationship qualities and Latino/a/x adolescent adjustment were bidirectional.

Parental Management of Adolescents’ Peer Relationships in Ghana and the United States

A sample of Ghanaian (n = 119) and United States (US; n = 70) adolescents was used to examine parental management of peer relationships. Adolescents completed measures of consulting, guiding, parent-adolescent conflict about peers, and social behavior. Compared to US adolescents, Ghanaian adolescents reported higher levels of overt aggression and relational aggression. Ghanaian adolescents reported higher levels of conflict with parents about peers than US adolescents. Ghanaian boys reported the highest level of conflict with parents about peers, US boys reported the lowest level of conflict with parents about peers, and Ghanaian and US girls reported medium levels of conflict about peers. Girls reported higher levels of prosocial behavior than boys. Older adolescents reported higher levels of conflict with parents about peers, higher levels of overt aggression, and higher levels of relational aggression. Across nationality groups, higher levels of consulting were related to lower levels of overt aggression. Multiple regression analyses suggested that higher levels of conflict with parents about peer relationships was related to higher levels of overt aggression and relational aggression across nationality groups. A significant two-way interaction revealed that, for US adolescents, higher levels of consulting were related to higher levels of prosocial behavior. A significant three-way interaction suggested that guiding was not related to prosocial behavior regardless of level of conflict among Ghanaian adolescents. For US adolescents, higher levels of guiding at higher levels of conflict were associated with higher levels of prosocial behavior among US adolescents.

The Concept of Synchronization in the Process of Separation-Individuation Between a Parent and an Adolescent

ObjectivesHumans experience the process of separating-individuating themselves from an object via the conflict between dependence and independence within the self. The separation-individuation theory focuses on the psychological process of individualizing oneself. Although adolescents’ individuation from their parents is based on intrapsychic events, there is an increasing need for an intersubjective understanding of it. We applied intersubjectivity to adolescents and parents to interpret and find solutions for problems arising during their individuation process.MethodsThis study retrospectively reviewed a case of a son and his father treated by the author. From the study subject, contents that represent adolescents and parents’ interaction and separation in the individualization process were extracted and analyzed, and their experiences shared in this process were reconstructed from the therapist’s perspective.ResultsFrom the case involving an adolescent boy with conduct problems and his interactions with his father, the authors observed the phenomenon of intersubjectivity and proposed the concept of “synchronized individuation” between adolescents and parents. As adolescents rapidly grow and change, they experience various dynamic interactions with their parents. Through learning to tolerate the conflicts and ambivalent tension inherent in this individuation process, adolescents and their parents develop their new identity.Conclusion“Synchronized individuation” should be understood as complementary to, rather than exclusive from, the existing concept of the separation and individuation. It offers a new paradigm with which to understand adolescent-parent conflicts in the process of separation- individuation.

Parents\u2019 lived experience of adolescents\u2019 repeated non-suicidal self-injury in China: a qualitative study

Background and objectivesThe prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is high among adolescents. Parents have significant impact on the development of NSSI. Many quantitative studies have demonstrated the relationship between parental factors such as parenting behaviors and adolescents’ NSSI. However, few studies have explored parents’ responses and adolescent-parent reciprocal interaction during repeated NSSI. This study aimed to explore parents’ cognition, behaviors and adolescent-parent reciprocal interaction during repeated NSSI.MethodsThis is a phenomenological study. By purposive sampling, 24 parents of adolescents with repeated NSSI were recruited from a child and adolescent psychiatric ward in a mental health center in Chengdu, China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and audio-recorded. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsThree themes were identified: parents’ attribution, perceptions and coping behaviors of NSSI. Chronic stress of adolescents and triggers of NSSI were associated with parental expectations. Parents initially perceived NSSI as a manifestation of puberty, a way of making needs met or a coping strategy of negative emotions, and gradually realized that it was a condition requiring psychological assistance. Parents’ coping behaviors of NSSI were divided into 4 stages, namely denial, dissuasion, reflection and adaptation, and working as a team. To be more specific, parents’ coping strategies at dissuasion stage included criticizing and conciliating, while those at reflection and adaptation stage included neglecting, avoiding conflicts and increasing control.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that adjusting parents’ expectation and negative perceptions of NSSI is beneficial to reduce adolescent-parent conflict and adolescents’ inner conflict and prevent NSSI. Furthermore, it’s necessary to publicize NSSI related knowledge to promote the early detection and treatment of NSSI.

Parenting, Pesticides and Adolescent Psychological Adjustment: A Brief Report.

Pesticides used to control insects, such as pyrethroids, are neurotoxicants, yet adolescent researchers often overlook their potential role in adolescent psychological adjustment. This brief report is guided by bioecological theory and considers the possible independent and interactive effects of environmental pyrethroid pesticide exposure for adolescent depressive symptoms. Self-reported adolescent appraisals of the parent–child relationship and depressive symptoms were obtained from a convenience sample of impoverished, predominantly Latino urban youth (n = 44). Exposure to environmental pyrethroids was obtained from wipe samples using a standardized protocol. Parent–adolescent conflict was higher in households with bifenthrin than those without, and adolescent depressive symptoms were elevated in homes where cypermethrin was detected. In addition, the presence of bifenthrin in the home attenuated the protective effects of parental involvement on adolescent depressive symptoms. The current results suggest that adolescent mental health researchers must consider the synergistic combinations of adolescents’ environments’ physical and social features. Given the endemic presence of pesticides and their neurotoxic function, pesticide exposure may demand specific attention.

The Role of Parental Academic Pressure in Adolescent-Parent Conflict: An Investigation by Gender

The Role of Parental Academic Pressure in Adolescent-Parent Conflict: An Investigation by Gender

Adolescent-parent conflict in the era of ‘TikTok’: Case reports from Nepal

• TikTok is a recent type of video-sharing and is likely to surge in view of increased use of smart-phones, internet use. • Two teenaged girls problematic use of TikTok and behavioural problems that resulted in impairment at a personal, social, educational and family functioning. • The line between normal and abnormal use of such mobile application is hazy in context of its social acceptability and growing use. • The conflict appeared between traditional values and modern means of entertainment poses therapeutic challenge. • Authors advise parental involvement, psychotherapeutic means, behavioral therapy and a collaborative approach with adolescents rather than pharmacotherapy for comprehensive treatment. TikTok is a recent type of video-sharing and lip-syncing online platform that is influencing adolescents rapidly and is likely to surge in view of increased use of smart-phones, internet use, ‘Lockdown’ period due to COVID-19pandemic and increasing online transactions, teachings and daily affairs worldwide. Two teenaged girls from southern Nepal brought by their parents with problematic use of TikTok and behavioural problems that followed .They were engrossed in the mobile application that resulted in impairment at a personal, social, educational and family functioning.In addition to that, parents did not accept it on cultural grounds. However, patients did not consider it problematic .Gradually, they developed symptoms of depression, conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder but did not fulfill criteria of any disorder. The provisional diagnosis of Behavioural addiction was considered and Cognitive behavioural therapy planned. These cases posed diagnostic dilemma, challenging treatment sessions and partial success. The line between normal and abnormal use of such mobile application is hazy in context of its social acceptability and growing use. The conflict appeared between traditional values and modern means of entertainment poses therapeutic challenge. Authors advise parental involvement, psychotherapeutic means, behavioral therapy and a collaborative approach with adolescents rather than pharmacotherapy for comprehensive treatment.

Economic stress, parenting, and adolescents’ adjustment during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractObjectiveThis investigation examined pathways through which financial stress impacts parents’ and adolescents’ well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic.BackgroundPandemic‐related stress (e.g., financial stress) experienced by parents may indirectly affect adolescents’ well‐being, although the pathways involved are currently unknown.MethodFamilies currently living in the United States and having adolescents between 12 and 18 years old participated in this investigation (N = 272). Parents responded to questionnaires online about their financial situation, personal well‐being, relationship with their oldest typically developing adolescent (12–18 years old; Mage = 14.74; SDage = 1.80; 46.4% young women), and their adolescents’ well‐being.ResultsHigher levels of financial stress were related to higher levels of parental psychological distress, higher levels of parenting stress, and higher levels of adolescent loneliness. Higher stay‐at‐home intensity was related to higher levels of parenting stress, higher levels of parent–adolescent conflict, and poorer adolescent adjustment. Several significant indirect paths were identified between financial stress and adolescents’ adjustment. The relationship between financial stress and adolescents’ well‐being (i.e., internalizing behaviors and loneliness) was mediated by parental psychological distress and parenting stress. When parenting stress was a mediator, the effect was more pronounced the more time families spent at home.ConclusionParents who were worried about their financial situation had greater difficulty with psychological distress and parenting stress, especially when parents were spending more time at home.ImplicationsUnderstanding the way in which financial stress influences parents’ and adolescents’ adjustment during the pandemic will inform and prepare practitioners and policymakers for similar situations in the future.

“More control, more conflicts?” Clarifying the longitudinal relations between parental psychological Control and parent-adolescent Conflict by disentangling between-family effects from within-family effects

IntroductionAdolescence is a period when adolescents seek autonomy and parent-adolescent conflict appears inevitable. Even though some research found that parental psychological control triggered parent-adolescent conflict, studies clarifying the directionality of effects at the within-family level are scarce. This study investigated the longitudinal relations between parental psychological control and parent-adolescent conflict using a traditional cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) and the random-intercept CLPM (RI-CLPM) framework. MethodsData from 2473 Chinese adolescents (Mage Time1 = 13.20 years, standard deviation = 0.52 years; 51.4% male) were collected via a cross-sectional survey across three time points. Adolescents reported on parental psychological control, parent-adolescent conflict, and demographic characteristics at each time point. CLPM and RI-CLPM were utilized. ResultsThe results from the CLPM analyses suggested a reciprocal effects model. However, the results from the RI-CLPM framework supported a conflict-driven model at the within-family level, wherein if parent-adolescent conflict increased, subsequent parental psychological control would increase as a result. The reverse pattern was not observed. ConclusionsThese findings indicate the maladaptive processes of parent-adolescent conflict that shape parental psychologically controlling behaviors in Chinese families at the within-family level. Practical implications, including how to assist Chinese parents to address parent-adolescent conflict and to reduce psychological control, are discussed.