The role of family functioning and emotional expressiveness in predicting anxiety in adolescent girls

Background: Anxiety is a common mental health issue in adolescence, more frequently affecting girls, emphasizing the need to examine family factors such as family functioning and emotional expressiveness. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate how family functioning and emotional expressiveness predict anxiety levels in adolescent girls. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study analyzed a population of female adolescents enrolled in the first year of high school (grades ۷-۹, ages ۱۳-۱۵) in Shiraz during the ۲۰۲۳-۲۰۲۴ academic year. A sample of ۲۵۲ participants was selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method. Data were collected through the Children’s Anxiety Scale, the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD), and the Emotional Expressivity Questionnaire (EEQ). The data were analyzed with Pearson’s correlation coefficient and stepwise regression using SPSS version ۲۶. Results: Findings revealed a significant negative correlation between family functioning and anxiety (r=-۰.۵۱, p<۰.۰۰۱), as well as between emotional expressiveness and anxiety (r=-۰.۴۶, p<۰.۰۰۱). Both family functioning and emotional expressiveness together explained ۳۴% of the variance in anxiety (R²=۰.۳۴), with family functioning contributing more significantly. Conclusion: This study finds that family functioning and emotional expressiveness are important predictors of lower anxiety levels in adolescent girls, collectively accounting for a significant portion of the variance. Family functioning seems to have a more vital influence, indicating that interventions focused on family dynamics could help reduce anxiety in this group.

کلیدواژه ها:

Family function ، Emotional expressiveness ، Anxiety ، Adolescent girls