The Importance of Closeness: New Study Explores Differential Roles for Parents in Adolescent Emotional Stability

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Chiang, S.-C., Bai, S., Mak, H. W., & Fosco, G. M. (2024). Dynamic characteristics of parent-adolescent closeness: Predicting adolescent emotion dysregulation. Family Process, 00, 1–15. 

Introduction

Adolescence is a formative period of heightened sensitivity to emotional challenges, where the stability and closeness of parent-adolescent relationships often act as protective factors against emotion dysregulation. In this study, Chiang and colleagues (2024) explore how fluctuations in parent-adolescent relationships, especially daily shifts in perceived closeness with parents, may contribute to adolescent emotion dysregulation.

Methods

144 adolescents (91 females, 53 males) between 13 and 16years (M = 14.6), and their parents reported on adolescent emotion dysregulation and closeness at baseline and a 12-month follow-up. Adolescents also reported on daily closeness with mothers and fathers over 21 days, immediately following the baseline assessment. Notably “lability scores”, that represented each mother–adolescent and father–adolescent dyad were computed using a mean squared successive differences approach to calculate average individual change over time. Hierarchical linear regression was then used to analyzed the links between baseline and fluctuating closeness and emotion dysregulation. 

Results

  • Higher lability in father-adolescent closeness was linked to increased emotion dysregulation at the one year follow-up
  • When baseline closeness with fathers was high, greater closeness lability was associated with lower emotion dysregulation.
  • Neither baseline closeness with mothers nor lability in mother-adolescent closeness significantly affected emotion dysregulation.

Discussion

Findings imply that fathers may play a distinct role in adolescent emotion socialization, with high baseline closeness providing a secure base that mitigates the potential risks of relationship lability. The lack of significant results for mother-adolescent closeness underscores the potential differences in maternal and paternal influences on adolescent development, a finding that aligns with family systems theory, which posits differentiated roles for family members in developmental processes.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

  • Attending to Parent Relationships: Programs may consider the ways in which they assess and address mentee relationships with parents, exploring strategies to promote closeness.
  • Training for Emotion Socialization: Programs could consider incorporating trainings for mentors in emotion-coaching techniques to support mentees’ ability to process and regulate emotions.

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