A Mixed Method Investigation of Parent-Adolescent Communication About Mental Health

Abstract

Purpose

Parent-adolescent communication is critical for parents' recognition of a need for mental health treatment in their adolescent children. This study aimed to explore facilitators and barriers to parent-adolescent communication about mental health in order to generate ideas for interventions that improve communication and increase adolescent uptake of mental health services.

Methods

Twenty adolescents aged 12 to 19 with a history of depression and/or anxiety were enrolled alongside one parent/guardian. Participants completed an online survey, followed by separate, semistructured interviews. Survey data were analyzed via paired and two-sample t tests. Separate, data-driven codebooks were developed from interview transcripts. Qualitative data were analyzed via a template analysis approach.

Results

Adolescents reported higher barriers to psychological help-seeking (24.0 + 7.3) when compared to parents (18.6 + 4.7), both on average (p = .008) and between individual dyads (p = .003). Parents reported better communication with their child (79.0 + 11.5), than adolescents did with their parents on average (68.7 + 17.3, p = .04). Fear of burdening parents, parental guilt and fear of parents' dismissal of mental health concerns were described as barriers to communication. Facilitators of communication included disclosure of familial mental health history, open-mindedness, and patience. Psychotherapy was described as positively impacting communication by assisting adolescents in understanding parents' perspectives, and teaching communication strategies.

Discussion

Brief clinical interventions addressing structural and emotional barriers to psychological help-seeking, depression literacy, stigma and self-blame among parents, and disclosure of familial mental health history may encourage parent-adolescent communication and increase adolescents' access to mental health care.