Addressing Relational and Communication Conflicts in Families With Adolescents.

Overview

Adolescence is a stage characterized by intense emotional and social changes. Young people experience emotions more intensely, but they do not always have the necessary tools to recognize, understand, and regulate them properly. In recent decades, the mental and emotional health of adolescents has become a priority issue on the international agenda. Organizations such as the World Health Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, have noted a worrying increase in emotional and psychological problems in this population, as well as a significant lack of skills to recognize and express their emotions appropriately. An important aspect of functionality highlighted by scholars in the field is that "a functional family is not defined by the absence of stress, conflict, or problems, but by how effectively it manages them so that they do not interfere with the well-being of its members. A dysfunctional family cannot fulfill this function" (Colapinto in Roizblatt, 2006). At times, parents may experience misunderstandings or problems within the home. Sharp (2022) notes that interpersonal problems were associated with higher levels of insecure attachment in adolescent offspring, such that adolescents either dismissed the need for attachment or displayed altered concern regarding the relationship; the latter focuses more on how adolescents feel regarding the relationship they have with their parents, and if they lack help or support in acknowledging everything they are going through and feeling, this can continue into adulthood and end up harming how they relate to society and their personal relationships. Considering the context of the Mexicali Valley, characterized by social, economic, and family vulnerability, it is essential to work together on the emotional development of adolescents and the strengthening of their emotional bond with their parents. In this environment, young people not only go through the changes typical of adolescence, but they may also face complex family dynamics, limited support networks, and few opportunities for emotional education.

Implement a reflective workshop aimed at adolescents living in the Mexicali Valley, which promotes knowledge, understanding, and expression of emotions, thereby strengthening the emotional bond with their parents. This would consist of 8-10 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, for male and female adolescents aged 14-17. Objective To design and evaluate a psychological intervention based on the Reflective Workshop to strengthen emotional bonds between parents and adolescents in the Mexicali Valley. Method A qualitative study is proposed, aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the experiences and meanings that adolescents attribute to their family relationships. The intervention is based on the Reflective Workshop model proposed by Gutiérrez (2022), which is based on the collective construction of knowledge through dialogue, critical reflection, and the active participation of group members. This methodological approach encourages emotional expression, awareness, and the reconstruction of relational experiences within a safe and structured group space. The intervention is planned to be implemented in educational contexts in the Mexicali Valley, in which the main topics of discussion would be whether they know the communication in the family, how they have experienced them, in what situations, and how they are related within the family environment, specifically with the bonds they have with their parents. In the preliminary stage, no results have yet been obtained. To this end, narrative analysis, this allows for the investigation of underlying themes, patterns, and social implications within a narrative structure, this comprehensive guide aims to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to accurately assess and understand narratives. Will be used narrative analysis to address their perceptions before and after the intervention, which will allow for the identification of possible changes in the way they describe and redefine their bond with their parents. This method facilitates the exploration of meanings, emotions, and changes present in the participants' discourse based on their own experiences. The proposed intervention represents a relevant strategy for addressing the strengthening of emotional bonds between parents and adolescents, particularly in vulnerable contexts such as the Mexicali Valley. These types of participatory methodologies allow for the creation of spaces for dialogue, reflection, and emotional expression, where participants can recognize their experiences and construct new ways of understanding their family relationships. In populations facing conditions of social and emotional vulnerability, these strategies take on special relevance, as they promote processes of active participation, recognition of emotions, and collective construction of meanings. In this way, the Reflective Workshop not only facilitates understanding of family dynamics but also promotes emotional resources that can contribute to the psychological well-being of adolescents and the strengthening of relationships within the family environment.