Maternal and paternal emotion socialization relates to adolescent self-compassion

Abstract

Parent emotion socialization contributes to youth socioemotional adjustment and is an important consideration for prevention and intervention efforts. Extant research posits that parental emotion socialization influences youth mental health through child-level factors, such as how youth process and manage their emotions. Self-compassion is a protective factor for youth mental health, but the role of parents in youth self-compassion is unclear. Moreover, there is relatively limited research on maternal and paternal emotion socialization in adolescence. The present study examined associations of maternal and paternal emotion socialization with adolescent self-compassion. Adolescents (N = 165, 33% female, M = 14.56 years, SD = 1.34) and their parents completed questionnaires as part of an online survey. Parents’ validation and comfort responses to negative emotions were associated with higher adolescent self-compassion. Parents’ punishment and reciprocation of adolescents’ negative emotions were associated with lower adolescent self-compassion. Similar findings were present for mothers and fathers. Supporting parent-child communication about emotions may be relevant for youth exercising more self-compassion, providing important directions for prevention and intervention efforts.