Problems between parents and adolescents’ relationships: a qualitative study

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a stage of life in which fast cognitive, biological, and neurological changes occur that significantly affect one’s relationships and psychosocial functioning. Behavioral problems in adolescence are influenced by parent–adolescent relationships and family functions, which may result in emotional, physiological, and social disorders. This study aimed to investigate the relationship problems experienced by Iranian parents in dealing with their teenage children aged 11–16 years.
METHODS: This study was conducted through a qualitative content analysis. A purposive sample group of 30 parents from four healthcare systems and four school counselors from two public and two private schools in Tabriz, Iran, were recruited. The study period was from November 2018 to January 2019. Data was collected through semistructured and face-to-face interviews with parents of teenage children. The interviews were voice-recorded and manually transcribed for the following content analysis scheme.
RESULTS: After eliminating similar codes in the data analysis process, 175 codes, 21 subcategories, 5 categories, and 2 themes were extracted from the parents and school counselors’ experiences regarding adolescents’ relationship problems. The two categories that emerged from the analysis were (1) atmosphere of home and (2) parenting style.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Parents and counselors’ perception of relationship problems was categorized into two themes: atmosphere of home and parenting style. It was found that an inadequate adolescent psychological atmosphere at home and inappropriate parenting style cause many problems between parents and adolescents. Based on the findings, these conditions should be considered when designing suitable educational programs for promoting adolescents’ health and implementing required family interventions to prevent issues in adulthood.