Prioritizing Emotional Climate Factors in Families with Adolescent Anxiety
Keywords:
Family emotional climate, adolescent anxiety, empathy, family cohesion, emotional validationAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to identify, categorize, and prioritize the emotional climate factors influencing families with adolescents experiencing anxiety through an integrated qualitative–quantitative approach.
Methods and Materials: A mixed-methods exploratory–quantitative design was employed in two sequential phases. In the qualitative phase, an extensive literature review was conducted until theoretical saturation, and data were analyzed using NVivo 14 through thematic coding. Seven main themes were identified, including parental emotional expression, communication patterns, parental control and autonomy, family cohesion and support, parental mental health influence, emotional validation and empathy, and family stress and conflict climate. In the quantitative phase, a structured questionnaire was developed based on the qualitative findings and administered to 220 participants from Kenya, consisting of parents and adolescents aged 13–18 years. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26, applying the Friedman ranking test to determine the relative importance of emotional climate factors.
Findings: Results indicated statistically significant differences in the prioritization of emotional climate factors (p < .01). Family Cohesion and Support received the highest mean rank score (4.72), followed by Emotional Validation and Empathy (4.51), Parental Emotional Expression (4.38), and Communication Patterns (4.12). Parental Control and Autonomy (3.89), Parental Mental Health Influence (3.65), and Family Stress and Conflict Climate (3.47) ranked lower, suggesting that affective closeness and empathic validation are stronger predictors of adolescent emotional well-being than external stress factors.
Conclusion: The study highlights that family cohesion, empathy, and emotional validation are the most influential components of a healthy emotional climate in mitigating adolescent anxiety. These results emphasize the need for family-centered interventions that enhance emotional communication, promote empathy, and strengthen relational bonds as preventive and therapeutic strategies for adolescent anxiety.
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