Exploring Components of Intergenerational Transmission of Stress in Adolescents

Armin Khadem Fini; Seyed Milad Saadati; Sergii  Boltivets

doi:10.61838/kman.jarac.4437

Authors

Armin Khadem Fini Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Ireland

Seyed Milad Saadati * Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Ireland 24361836@studentmail.ul.ie

Sergii Boltivets Chief Researcher of the Department of Scientific Support of Social Formation of Youth. Mykhailo Drahomanov University, Ukraine

https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.jarac.4437

Keywords:

Intergenerational stress, adolescents, family functioning, resilience, coping

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the components and mechanisms through which stress is transmitted across generations within families and how adolescents experience and respond to these dynamics.

Methods and Materials: This study employed a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews to capture adolescents’ lived experiences of intergenerational stress. A purposive sample of 18 adolescents, aged 13–18 years, was recruited from diverse socio-economic and family backgrounds in Ireland. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Interviews lasted between 45 and 60 minutes, were audio-recorded with informed consent, and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo 14 software, following a systematic coding process that progressed from open codes to subthemes and broader categories. Credibility was enhanced through peer debriefing and member checking.

Findings: Three overarching themes emerged from the analysis. The first, family stress dynamics, captured the spillover of parental work stress, marital conflict, and parental coping strategies into the home environment, shaping parenting practices and communication patterns. The second, adolescent responses to stress, included emotional reactions such as anxiety, sadness, and guilt, as well as behavioral outcomes including withdrawal, academic decline, risky peer relationships, and health complaints. The third, transmission pathways and protective factors, highlighted observational learning, role reversal, and cultural narratives as mechanisms of stress transfer, while also identifying personal resilience, external supports, and family warmth as protective buffers. Adolescents’ voices emphasized both the risks of internalizing parental stress and the potential for resilience-building interventions.

Conclusion: The study demonstrates that intergenerational transmission of stress is a multifaceted process shaped by family functioning, communication patterns, cultural narratives, and resilience mechanisms. While family conflict and parental distress intensify adolescent vulnerability, protective factors such as resilience and external supports mitigate adverse outcomes. These findings underscore the need for family-centered and culturally sensitive interventions to disrupt cycles of stress transmission and promote adolescent well-being.

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