The Process of Handling the Challenges of Adolescence by Parents: A grounded Theory Study

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: Adolescence is the beginning of physical, psychological, social and spiritual changes. The growth of an adolescent is happened in the family, social environment and cultural contexts so the family and parents are the vital factor in the development and health of them. Family are facing problems during the transfer of children from one stage of development to the next. If the effective factors on the adolescent, including parent and society are organized so, the acute problems will not be emerged. The social and cultural changes have led to establishment of new life styles in Iranian families in recent years. Therefore, the challenging features of this age group and live in the modern era have raised the need for the discovery and explanation of many interactions in families. Considering that parental transfer from childhood to adolescent of their child is a process, a grounded theory with the aim of identifying and interpreting interactive processes between adolescents and parents in the context of family and community, can be a good approach. Therefore, this study aimed to explain the process of managing the challenges of adolescence by parents. Method: This qualitative study was carried out with a grounded theory approach. Participants were parents of adolescent children in Tabriz who were entered into the study using purposive and theoretical sampling. 13 mothers and 10 fathers, 3 adolescents, 2 grandfather and grandmother were interviewed. Data collection was conducted with in-depth and face-to-face interviews and continued until the saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using the Corbin and Strauss (2008) approach. Lincoln and Guba's four criteria used to ensure the rigor of the study. Results: In context analysis, five main categories of "confronting adolescent change", "parental religiosity", "adjustment in the role of the father", "living in the future frame" and "challenges of now days" were identified. Data analysis of the process consists of two main categories related to strategies with "transformational parenting" and "child orientation" and three main categories related to the outcome of "child restraint", "passivity of parent", and "achieve to sense of peace". The final analysis showed that in the process of managing the challenges of adolescence, parents with make changes in themselves, modified the designated authority for the children and try to orientate them in a new realm. Accordingly, the core variable of study was titled "guided redefine". Conclusion: Discovering the process of handling the challenges of adolescence by parents can be good guide for health care providers, especially nurses, to develop educational and counseling services for families. Family-centered nursing and school-based interventions can make effective communication between parents and adolescent children and lead to a reduction of conflicts between them. Also, providing supportive strategies for parents can reduce the negative outcomes of this period and take an important step towards improving the mental health of adolescents