Parent-adolescent Relationship Research Articles

Parent and adolescent perceptions of parent–child developmental relationships: The role of family routines

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined family routines in relation to the strength of parent–child developmental relationships and discordant perceptions among parents and their adolescent children.BackgroundPositive parent–child relationships and regular engagement in family routines are known to create a positive environment in which adolescents can thrive. Yet both parents and their children hold unique perspectives on family structure and functioning. Agreement between parent and child reports tend to be low and often become increasingly discrepant during adolescence. Engaging in consistent and predictable family routines may not only strengthen parent–child relationships but also result in more concordant perceptions of the quality of their shared relationship.MethodUsing data from 633 matched parents and their children, we examined the association between engagement in family routines and the strength of parent–adolescent relationships including discrepant reports using a latent congruence model.ResultsFamily routines were positively associated with stronger parent–adolescent relationships and less discrepant reports of this critical relationship.ConclusionEngagement in family routines plays an important role in parent–adolescent developmental relationships.ImplicationsFindings have important implications for practices and research focused on improving adolescent outcomes through family structures and parent–child relationships.

Associations between mother and father involvement with older adolescents: Mediating effects of parent‐adolescent and couple relationships

AbstractObjectiveThis study aims to illuminate the dynamic interplay among subsystems within the family context to understand how mother and father involvement in their adolescent children's lives may be related.BackgroundConsistent with different predictions offered by family spillover and by compensatory conceptual models, whether there is an association between mother and father involvement, as well as the direction of the association, is unclear thus far in the empirical literature. Whether more proximal dyadic relationships, such as parent–adolescent relationships, may mediate the association between mother and father involvement has also been underexamined.MethodThis study was conducted using the adolescent subsample drawn from Wave 3 of the Welfare, Children, and Families Project. A total of 463 ethnically diverse adolescents from low‐income households living with two biological parents were involved in this study.ResultsResults of a structural equation modeling analysis indicated that the total effect from mother involvement to father involvement was significant, but a direct association between them was not significant; closeness in parent–adolescent and coparental relationships mediated the relationship between the two. Study results also indicated that model fits and associations were roughly the same across adolescent sex and ethnicity groups.ConclusionThis study advanced the understanding of the father involvement process. The findings support that parental involvement interventions for parents from low‐income families should focus on developing culturally responsive strategies for promoting their parenting beliefs and healthy functioning.

When Parents Press for Achievement: The Relationship between Academic Stress, Insomnia, Adolescent-Parent Relationships, and Life Satisfaction

When Parents Press for Achievement: The Relationship between Academic Stress, Insomnia, Adolescent-Parent Relationships, and Life Satisfaction

Intersections of family expressiveness and adolescent mental health: exploring parent–adolescent relationships as a mediator

Purpose This study investigates the mediating role of parent−adolescent relationships in the impact of family emotional expressiveness on adolescent psychological adjustment. This study aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which positive family dynamics and strong parent−child bonds influence adolescents' psychological resilience and well-being. Design/methodology/approach The study involved 463 middle school students (241 boys and 222 girls) from Chlef, Algeria. Data was collected using the self-expressiveness in the family questionnaire (SEFQ), the parent−adolescent relationship scale (PARS) and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Descriptive statistics, correlations and mediation analysis were performed to examine the relationships among family emotional expressiveness, parent−adolescent relationships and psychological adjustment. Findings The results reveal moderate positive correlations among family emotional expressiveness, parent−adolescent relationships and psychological adjustment. Mediation analysis indicates that parent−adolescent relationships partially mediate the effects of family emotional expressiveness on psychological outcomes, with both direct and indirect effects being statistically significant. Originality/value This study contributes to the field of mental health by exploring the nuanced interplay between family dynamics, parent−adolescent relationships and psychological adjustment within the Algerian cultural context. While the quantitative nature of the study limits the depth of contextual insights, the findings underscore the importance of considering family emotional expressiveness and the quality of parent−adolescent relationships in interventions aimed at promoting adolescent psychological well-being. The study highlights the partial mediating role of parent−adolescent relationships, indicating that other factors may also influence the association between family expressiveness and adolescent adjustment. This emphasizes the need for a comprehensive, culturally-sensitive approach that addresses various influences on adolescent development. It should be noted that while the family unit and parenting styles have been extensively researched, this study offers a fresh perspective by focusing on these dynamics within a specific cultural setting.

Daily and Half-yearly Associations between Boundary Diffusion and Parent-adolescent Relationship Quality after Divorce.

Boundary diffusion is a particular risk after divorce and has been associated with adolescents' adjustment problems. Yet, its potential impact on parent-adolescent relationship quality is less straightforward, as previous findings support both an alienation and conflict perspective. Therefore these associations (daily and half-yearly) were examined in recently divorced families, addressing both within-dyad changes and between-dyad differences. Data were collected among a sample of N = 133 (pre)adolescents (Mage = 11.76; 51.5% boys) from 76 divorced families, using a measurement burst design: Every six months, 14 consecutive days of daily diaries were collected, for 5 waves. Between dyads, adolescents who experienced more boundary diffusion than others, also reported more conflict with both their parents. Within dyads, when adolescents experienced more boundary diffusion than usual by one of their parents (actor), warmth decreased and conflict increased between this parent and the adolescent, that same and the following day. Adolescents also engaged in more conflict with the other parent that day. These findings mostly supported the conflict perspective: Post-divorce boundary diffusion appears to be a general risk factor for parent-adolescent conflict with both parents, and from day-to-day boundary diffusion was linked to a deteriorated parent-adolescent relationship quality, especially with the parent that triangulated or parentified them. There were no significant long-term associations, nor did any moderator (age, gender, living arrangement) explain heterogeneity in effects.

Parent- and Adolescent-Driven Effects in Emotion-Related Communication and Longitudinal Relationships with Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents.

Communication on emotions is an important aspect of parent-adolescent communication, yet its process and effects remain less examined in families of adolescents. This study examined the bidirectional association between parental responses to adolescents' emotions and adolescents' emotional communication behaviors, and further examined their longitudinal predictive effects on adolescent depressive symptoms. The potential moderating role of adolescent gender was also examined. A total of 503 adolescents (Mage = 13.45, SD = 0.50; 44.73% females) participated in this study, with 438 adolescents completing the three-wave longitudinal survey. Adolescents' emotional communication behaviors, parental responses to emotions, and depressive symptoms were reported. The bidirectional relationship was examined using cross-lagged panel models, while the parent- and adolescent-driven effects of emotional communication on adolescent depressive symptoms and the moderation effect of adolescent gender were examined using multi-group structural equation modeling. The findings revealed gender-specific patterns in parent-adolescent communication on emotions. Significant parent- and adolescent-driven effects of positive communication behaviors on adolescent depressive symptoms were found. However, only negative communication behaviors initiated by parents predicted adolescent depressive symptoms, with this effect mediated by adolescents' negative communication behaviors. This study deepened the understanding of characteristics and effects of parent-child emotional communication during adolescence, which has implications for interventions aiming at improving parent-adolescent relationship and adolescents' mental health.

“The Comparison Trap”: The Role of Perceived Parent Social Comparison on Adolescent Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Self-Handicapping

Parents' attitudes and behavior can impact children's self-esteem, self-perceptions, and behavior. However, limited studies have investigated the relationship between parent social comparison and adolescents’ academic self-appraisal and academic behavior. To address this gap, a survey was conducted among 200 Senior High School students from the Integrated School of De La Salle University - Manila to determine the types of perceived parent social comparison (PPSC) experienced (upward identification, upward contrast, downward identification, downward contrast) and their relationship to academic self-efficacy (ASE) and academic self-handicapping (ASH). Results revealed that adolescents have a moderate level of PPSC, with upward identification obtaining the highest mean score. No significant differences were found between males and females. However, significant differences between adolescents compared by parents to others sometimes and those compared often/always were observed in the overall PPSC, downward identification comparison, and upward contrast comparison. After controlling for sex and frequency of PPSC, forward multiple regression revealed that downward contrast was the only significant negative correlate of ASE. In contrast, downward identification was the only significant positive correlate of ASH. The study suggests that cultivating a positive and supportive parent-adolescent relationship rather than a culture of comparison may lead to better outcomes for adolescents.

A pilot study in narrative approach of an adolescent parenting program for enhancing parenting competency during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Since 2019, Hong Kong has been experiencing a social and mental health crisis caused by social unrest and the COVID-19 Pandemic. As a result, there have been reports of increasing family conflicts among secondary students. With the understanding that family support and positive relationships are crucial for maintaining the mental well-being of young people, narrative therapy is a practical approach for helping families shift from problem-focused perspectives to empowering strategies for rebuilding positive relationships. The study aims to report on the effectiveness of a pilot group parent narrative therapy workshop for family relationship harmonisation and enhancing parenting competency using quantitative and qualitative methods. The study participants included 34 parents from five local schools. The results indicated a significantly increased sense of parental competency, general self-efficacy, adult hope, and decreased parental stress. Qualitative reports and participants’ narratives also demonstrated the positive effect of the narrative therapy workshop on their parent–adolescent relationships.

Changes in Adolescents' COVID-19-Health-Related Stress, Parent-Adolescent Relationships, and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effect of Personality Traits.

Previous studies investigated short-term effects of COVID-19 on families. However, much is unknown about how families with adolescents fared throughout the pandemic, as well as factors that might explain interindividual differences in adjustment. The current study used latent change score models to investigate associations between changes in adolescents' mental health, parent-adolescent relationship quality, and COVID-19-health-related stress from Fall 2019 to Spring 2021, and whether personality predicted changes in adolescents' mental health, relationship quality, and stress. Participants were 242 adolescents (Mage = 11.56, SD = 0.44, 50% girls). Parent-adolescent negative interactions decreased from before the pandemic to the first lockdown, and stronger decreases (both in this period and between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021) were associated with simultaneous stronger increases in mental health. From Spring to Fall 2020, decreases in stress were stronger for less extraverted adolescents and were associated with better mental health. More agreeable adolescents reported a stronger decrease in stress between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. The findings suggest that it is important to consider heterogeneity in designing future intervention and prevention programs. Especially adolescents with existing problems and from multi-problem families might be at risk for adverse consequences during pandemic-like situations.

Age-varying associations of parent-adolescent relationship and school connectedness with adolescent self-compassion: Differences by gender.

Parent-adolescent relationships and school connectedness are critical promotive factors for adolescent self-compassion. However, little is known about how the magnitude of the associations between these protective factors and self-compassion changes across continuous age groups and whether gender differences exist in the age-varying associations. This study aims to investigate (1) the age-varying associations of parent-adolescent relationships and school connectedness with self-compassion using time-varying effect modeling and (2) how their age-varying associations may differ by gender. A total of 14,776 adolescents aged 10-18 (mean age = 13.53 ± 2.08, 52.3% males) from Shenzhen, China participated in this study. All adolescents completed the online questionnaires in the school computer rooms. The results showed that both parent-adolescent relationships and school connectedness were positively associated with adolescent self-compassion, and the magnitudes fluctuated with age. Specifically, the association between parent-adolescent relationships and self-compassion peaked for adolescents in early adolescence, with the key timing for girls (age group of 10 years old) being slightly earlier than boys (age group of 11 years old). The association between school connectedness and self-compassion was stronger for boys in the early years of adolescence (in the age group of 12.7 years), while stronger for girls during middle adolescence (in the age group of 14.0 years). Overall, girls were more sensitive to connections with parents and schools than boys during most age groups. The findings demonstrated differential key timing for boys and girls regarding family- and school-based intervention to cultivate self-compassion and highlighted the importance of maintaining strong connections with families and schools for cultivating adolescent self-compassion, particularly for girls.

Emotion regulation strategies and depression in mother-adolescent dyads: An actor-partner interdependence model approach.

Parent-adolescent emotion dynamics have attracted increasing attention in recent years because adolescence is a challenging period for both adolescents and parents. However, how emotions are coconstructed between parents and adolescents is less clear. This study examined whether mothers' and adolescents' emotion regulation strategy was linked with their own and each other's depression using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM). The participants were 173 mother-adolescent pairs (Mother: Mage = 43.05 years old, SD = 3.78; Adolescent: Mage = 13.00 years old, SD = 0.90). The results showed that the more mothers used cognitive reappraisal, the lower their depression levels were; and the more mothers and adolescents used expressive suppression, the higher their levels of depression were. Additionally, maternal expressive suppression was associated with adolescent depressive symptoms. Moreover, the results revealed that for mothers with higher levels of expressive suppression, their adolescents' usage of expressive suppression was significantly positively related to adolescents' depression, while for those mothers with lower levels of expressive suppression, there was no significant correlation between adolescents' usage of expressive suppression and depression. The findings underscore the significance of recognising the interdependence and interconnected nature of emotions within parent-adolescent relationships for a comprehensive understanding of their emotional well-being.

A Model for Explaining Digital Addiction in Adolescents: The Role of Self-Perception, Social-Emotional Learning, Adolescent-Parent Relationship and Peer Relationships

Objective: This study was aimed at examining the levels of digital addiction in adolescents with a regression model created with self-perception, adolescent-parent relationships, peer relationships, and social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. 
 Method: The participants consisted of 504 high school students. The data were obtained through the Personal Information Form, the Digital Addiction Scale, the Adolescent-Parent Relationships Scale, the Friendship Quality Scale, the Self-Perception Scale, and the Social and Emotional Learning Scale. 
 Results: Self-perception, adolescent-parent relationship, and SEL skills were significant predictors of adolescents' digital addiction levels, while the peer relationships was not. Additionally, the regression model explains approximately 27% of the total variance of digital addiction in adolescents.
 Conclusion: The ability of digital platforms to compensate for negative self-perception during adolescence, coupled with inadequate SEL skills, may hinder adolescents from forming satisfying real relationships with themselves and their environment, ultimately increasing their levels of digital addiction. In families without satisfying relationships with parents where there is no positive, warm, supportive, and safe climate, this may cause digital addiction in adolescents.

Parenting in African American families: Profiles of general and culturally specific dimensions of parent-adolescent relationships during late adolescence.

Developmental and parenting frameworks suggest that factors at the individual-level and multiple levels of adolescents' contexts are important determinants of how African American parents prepare their children to live in a racially stratified society. Using a person-centered approach, this study explored heterogeneity in profiles of African American parent-adolescent relationships (PARs) using indicators of parent-reported ethnic-racial socialization (cultural socialization, preparation for bias), general parenting practices (autonomy support, monitoring, behavioral control), and relationship quality (warmth, communication, conflict). We also examined how adolescents' characteristics, parents' personal and psychological resources, and contextual sources of stress and support contributed to profile membership. Data were from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study (1991-2000) and consisted of 589 African American caregiver-adolescent dyads (caregivers: 89% female; 57.2% married; adolescents: 50.7% female; Mage = 17, SD = 0.64, range = 15-19 years old). Latent profile analysis revealed four profiles: (a) No-Nonsense High Socializers, (b) Indulgent Average Socializers, (c) Unengaged Silent Socializers, and (d) Authoritative Cultural Socializers. Adolescent characteristics (gender, depression, and problem behavior), parents' personal and psychological resources (parenting self-efficacy, centrality, private regard, and depression), and contextual sources of stress and support (stress: economic hardship, family stress, neighborhood disadvantage and support: marital status, family cohesion, family organization) were correlated with profile membership. Findings suggest that variability in African American PARs is shaped by an extensive set of individual and contextual factors related to adolescents and the family and neighborhood context. These findings have important implications for future research and how to target multiple potential levers for change in African American parenting practice.

Longitudinal associations of diabetes-specific family conflict and diabetes management in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Diabetes-specific family conflict is a risk factor for diabetes indicators (e.g., higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), lower adherence), but little longitudinal data are available to understand associations across time. To better inform targets and timing of interventions, we examined (a) whether fluctuations in conflict covary with diabetes indicators within adolescents across time; (b) whether reciprocal associations exist; and (c) whether aspects of the parent-adolescent relationship (e.g., parental acceptance) buffer associations across time. Adolescents (N = 235, ages 11.5-15.5 at baseline, 53.6% female) completed measures of diabetes-related conflict with mothers and with fathers (separately), parental acceptance, and adherence every 6 months across 1 year (three time points). HbA1c was obtained from medical records. Data were collected in 2009. Bivariate between-person correlations indicated that at each time point, adolescents who reported more conflict with mothers and fathers also had higher HbA1c and lower adherence. Within-person correlations (fluctuations across three time points) indicated that fluctuations in conflict with mothers were associated with fluctuations in HbA1c but not adherence. Actor-partner multilevel models indicated that fluctuations in family conflict at each time point were not associated with future diabetes indicators. Parental acceptance did not moderate associations of family conflict and diabetes indicators. While findings corroborate extant literature noting that adolescents with high average diabetes-specific family conflict may benefit from interventions designed to reduce conflict, conflict at one time point may not be predictive of future diabetes indicators. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Developmental trajectories of mother-adolescent agreement on maternal autonomy support and their contributions to adolescents' adjustment.

Based on a multi-informant, longitudinal perspective on parent-adolescent relationships, this study examined patterns of convergence and divergence on maternal autonomy support. It had two aims: First, it sought to identify developmental trajectories of maternal autonomy support across adolescence from the perspectives of both mothers and adolescents. A second was to evaluate the longitudinal relation between self-reported and perceived maternal autonomy support by combining informants' trajectories. Data come from two 5-year longitudinal multi-informant studies (NS1 = 687 mother-child dyads; NS2 = 745 mother-child dyads). Each year, mothers and adolescents completed a questionnaire assessing maternal autonomy support. In both the samples, results of growth mixture modeling showed from mothers' perspective the presence of two distinct trajectories: high (91% of the sample) and moderate and relatively stable (9%) trajectories. From the adolescents' perspective, three trajectories were identified: high and relatively stable (75.7%), high and decreasing (11.8%), and moderate and increasing (12.5%). The normative mother-adolescent convergence pattern was one in which both adolescents and their mother reporting high levels of autonomy support. It was generally associated with more positive indices of adjustment, although academic achievement was highest when adolescents reported comparatively more autonomy support than their mother. The worst mother-adolescent convergence pattern tended to be one in which both reported initially moderate levels of autonomy support that remained relatively stable for mothers and increased for youths. Implications for parenting research and interventions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Videoconference-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Parents of Adolescents With Internet Addiction: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

The rise in internet addiction, including web-based gaming and social networking services, is a serious concern. Even with access to medical institutions and counseling services, individuals with internet addiction, particularly adolescents, often refuse medical treatment or counseling. Parent-focused psychological intervention may lead to positive outcomes by improving the parent-adolescent relationship and helping parents identify and modify their adolescent's problematic behaviors, including internet addiction. This study was a pilot randomized controlled trial to test the feasibility of remote cognitive behavioral therapy via videoconferencing for parents of adolescents with internet addiction. A total of 13 parents of adolescents aged 12-20 years with internet addiction were recruited and randomly assigned to either 12 sessions of the videoconference-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (vCBT) group (n=6, 46%) or the waitlist control group (n=7, 54%). The study period was from March 1, 2018, to March 31, 2022. The primary outcome was the scores of the Young Internet Addiction Test reported by the adolescents. The secondary outcomes were adolescents' hours of internet use per day (Internet Addiction Test), reported by the adolescents and by their parents; the Young Diagnostic Questionnaire, completed by the parents; and the quality of life of the adolescents and the parents, measured by the EQ-5D-5L. These were evaluated at weeks 0 and 13. As the primary outcome, the mean total Internet Addiction Test score decreased from 67.7 (SD 18.3; 6/13, 46%) at week 0 to 56.2 (SD 25.1; 5/9, 56%) at week 13 in the vCBT group, compared to an increase from 66.9 (SD 21.9; 7/13, 54%) to 68.0 (SD 18.7; 4/9, 44%) in the control group. For all outcomes, no significant differences were found between the 2 groups (all P>.05). This study suggested the practical feasibility of vCBT for parents of adolescents with internet addiction. Further large-scale, multicenter randomized controlled trials are necessary to examine the effectiveness. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000032483; https://tinyurl.com/yuhen6c9.

The role of family relationships on adolescents' development and adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

In typical times, adolescents' relationships with family members influence changing cognitive, social, and physical aspects of their development. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, impacted the full family system in ways that were unprecedented. Scholars of adolescence worldwide were driven to understand how adolescents' relationships with family members changed due to these dramatic societal shifts and the influence these relationships had on adolescents' well-being. This systematic review examined two research questions with 189 articles published from 2020-2022: (1) How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted families with adolescents, including broader family functioning, family relationship qualities, and parenting? and (2) How has the pandemic or pandemic-related stressors interacted with family functioning, family relationships, and parenting of adolescents to impact adolescent well-being and adjustment? Additionally, examination of the relevant studies were divided into sub-themes of pandemic influence: (a) family environment and routines, (b) family difficulties, (c) parenting and parent-adolescent relationships, and (d) sibling relationships.

How military-related stress and family relationships are associated with perceptions of work-family impact for married male service members with adolescent children

ABSTRACT Family members’ perceptions of challenges associated with military life can spillover to their relationships with one another and, in turn, inform service members’ beliefs of how their work impacts family life. The current study examined connections between active-duty fathers’, civilian mothers’, and adolescents’ perceptions of military-related stress, adolescents’ perceptions of quality of family relationships (i.e. parent-adolescent relationships), and service members’ perceived work-family impact (specifically work-related guilt and work-related enrichment). To examine these associations, a path analysis with secondary cross-sectional data was estimated using data from 228 Army families (each with an active-duty father, civilian mother, and adolescent offspring). The findings suggested that service members’ perceptions of military-related stress and adolescents’ relationship quality with both parents were related to service members’ work-family impact, specifically work-related enrichment. Such associations highlight the importance of high-quality parent-adolescent relationships for active-duty fathers’ work-family impact, which has implications for military families but, more broadly, for service members’ readiness and retention.

Correlates of Behavioral Problems among Youth with Anxiety

More information is needed to elucidate factors related to anxiety and behavioral problems among adolescents to inform those developing interventions. Reduced levels of parental stress and a supportive parent-adolescent relationship may be positively associated with anxiety and behavioral problems while experiencing adverse childhood events typically is negatively associated with anxiety and behavioral problems. This study investigated correlates of behavioral problems among youth with anxiety. Secondary data analyses were performed using a sample of 2,285 youth (10–17 years) whose parents reported that they currently had anxiety and behavioral problems from the 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health. Two multivariable logistic regressions examined the associations between four predictors: anxiety severity (mild or moderate/severe), adverse childhood experiences (0 ACEs, 1 ACE, ≥ 2 ACEs), parental stress (always or seldom stressed from parenting role), and emotional support for parents (Yes or No) and outcome variables (parent report of current or past behavioral problems for youth with anxiety). Results were similar for the two regression models. Specifically, participants who had severe/moderate anxiety, were exposed to more traumatic events (≥2 ACEs), lived with parents who were always stressed from parenting roles, and resided with parents who did not receive emotional support with parenting were more likely to have behavioral problems. Interventions are needed to reduce parental stress and provide emotional support for parents whose children experience anxiety and behavioral problems.

PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN AND PARENTS IN ADOLESCENCE

This article provides feedback and insights into the psychological analysis of adolescent child and parent relationships. The relationship between teenage children and their parents is often portrayed as turbulent, filled with misunderstandings, and marked by conflict. While this stereotype holds some truth, it oversimplifies the complex and dynamic nature of these relationships. Psychological analysis reveals that the parent-teen relationship is a critical aspect of adolescent development, influenced by various factors, including communication styles, emotional regulation, and social influences.