Family influence and well-being in adolescents: a test of the career construction model of adaptation

Abstract

Family dynamics have long been recognized as a key influence in shaping adolescents’ career development. Although prior research has established meaningful links between family-related factors and various well-being outcomes, further exploration is required to determine which specific aspects of family involvement have the strongest impact on adolescent well-being, and how these effects occur. This study examined these issues by investigating the role of family influence within the Career Construction Model of Adaptation (CCMA) among a sample of 712 adolescents. Specifically, links between family influence factors and life satisfaction, along with the mediating role of career adaptability were examined. Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping analyses revealed that both informational and financial support from families were significant predictors of life satisfaction, operating both directly and indirectly through career adaptability.These findings extend the Career Construction Model of Adaptation to a non-Western adolescent context by highlighting informational and financial family support as key resources for life satisfaction, and they point to the value of school- and family-based career guidance efforts that deliberately strengthen these forms of support.

Introduction

Among the many influences shaping adolescents' lives, relationships within the family serve as a critical base from which later life experiences and decisions unfold [1]. These connections help form a narrative that contributes to how young people approach their career goals, make decisions about the future, and experience overall well-being [2, 3]. A growing body of research has highlighted the important role that families play in fostering psychological health and happiness (e.g., [4, 5]). Among the key areas where families tend to exert influence are four domains: financial support, informational support, shared values and beliefs, and parental expectations. Of these, financial and informational support stand out as particularly influential in contributing to adolescents’ well-being [4, 5]. Adolescents who perceive their families as sources of such support generally report higher levels of well-being. While these associations have been widely documented among university students, more attention is needed on how these dynamics function during adolescence, a period in which the foundation for later vocational and psychological outcomes is still being laid.

This life stage is marked by increasingly complex decisions around future careers, and the pressure to navigate those choices often brings new developmental challenges. The Career Construction Model of Adaptation (CCMA; [6, 7]) offers a useful lens to understand how family influences contribute to adolescents’ capacity to cope with these transitions—a capacity referred to as career adaptability. According to this model, the roles young individuals occupy in their families and the quality of the support they receive play a key role in shaping how they manage career-related changes and expectations [7]. Family systems help shape internalized values and career aspirations, serving as a socializing force that guides future decisions [6, 8]. Parental involvement in career planning—whether through active participation in discussions, guidance, or support—can contribute meaningfully to an adolescent’s adaptability and resilience in the face of career-related tasks [9, 10]. Positive family relationships and encouragement toward career goals are often linked to stronger adaptability [11]. In addition, the emotional tone of family interactions matters: adolescents who feel heard, supported, and understood tend to report higher life satisfaction [12, 13]. Taken together, existing evidence highlights a complex but consistent picture: family support, career adaptability, and well-being are closely intertwined, with the family unit playing a central role in adolescent development.

Family influence as a component of adaptive readiness

In the Career Construction Model of Adaptation (CCMA), adaptive readiness refers to an individual’s psychological preparedness to handle unfamiliar, complex, or uncertain career-related situations in a constructive and effective way [14]. This study considers family influence as a central element of adaptive readiness within this model. As the earliest and most consistent social context, families play a foundational role in shaping adolescents’ views on work and the future [6]. Through their involvement, families help mold vocational interests, encourage aspirations, and assist with decision-making processes [15, 16]. Support from parents—through encouragement, advice, or emotional investment—has been shown to positively influence adolescents’ ability to cope with career-related demands [7, 17, 18].

Ongoing family communication and shared experiences provide young people with both practical and psychological tools to support their career development [19, 20]. Additionally, families often pass along broader cultural values and norms that shape vocational identity and notions of success [21, 22]. Parental behaviors such as modeling, expressing expectations, and offering emotional reassurance influence how adolescents see their capabilities and understand what career paths are open to them [20, 23]. Gaining a clearer view of how these influences contribute to career readiness is key to understanding how adolescents adapt and achieve positive career outcomes [2, 5, 24].

Empirical work has begun to link these family processes more directly to both career outcomes and well-being in adolescence. For instance, studies have shown that parental support for exploration and decision-making is associated with higher career adaptability and stronger feelings of efficacy and engagement in school [20, 25, 26]. Other research indicates that adolescents who perceive their families as providing clear information, encouragement, and realistic feedback about educational and vocational paths tend to report greater life satisfaction and fewer psychological difficulties [4, 5, 9]. These findings suggest that specific forms of family influence—particularly informational and financial support—may be especially important for understanding how adolescents adapt to career-related demands and how this adaptation is reflected in their overall well-being.

Career adaptability as a resource for adaptation

Within the CCMA framework, career adaptability is seen as a crucial internal resource that helps adolescents navigate the evolving challenges of career development [7]. It consists of four core components—concern, control, curiosity, and confidence—that together foster the flexibility and resilience needed to manage changing vocational demands [6, 7]. Adolescents with strong career adaptability are more capable of exploring their identities and possible futures, are better at managing vocational exploration and decision making, and tend to report higher academic performance and life satisfaction [27–29].

Moreover, career adaptability helps individuals manage challenges such as job loss, uncertainty, or career transitions by promoting a sense of optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy [30, 31]. Through exploration and informed choices, adolescents develop a greater sense of agency and competence in their career paths, which contributes to both professional and overall well-being [32–34]. Supporting adolescents in building adaptability early on is vital for laying the groundwork for successful career outcomes and navigating future uncertainty with greater confidence.

Life satisfaction as a positive outcome of adaptation

Living a satisfying and meaningful life is often closely linked to how effectively individuals manage career development. Adolescents who show strong adaptability and hold positive expectations for the future tend to report higher levels of life satisfaction and emotional well-being [35–37]. Research consistently shows that those who engage in career planning and make thoughtful, adaptive decisions report greater satisfaction with life and a more positive emotional outlook [38, 39]. When career experiences offer meaning and purpose, they contribute to a more fulfilling life [40].

In addition, adolescents who feel supported by parents, peers, or mentors during their career development often thrive both emotionally and socially [9, 15]. These supportive relationships foster self-worth and help reduce feelings of isolation, which in turn promotes psychological resilience and well-being. Therefore, creating environments where adolescents are encouraged and guided in their career journeys is important for supporting not only vocational development but also satisfaction across other life areas.

In the present study, we focused on four dimensions of family influence (informational support, financial support, expectations, and values and beliefs), career adaptability, and life satisfaction because each of these constructs is particularly salient during adolescence. High school students are frequently required to make decisions about educational tracks and future careers while still being strongly embedded in their families. Informational and financial support are concrete resources that can ease access to opportunities and reduce uncertainty, whereas expectations and shared values may shape how adolescents interpret what counts as a “good” or “appropriate” career choice [5, 24]. At the same time, adolescence is a period of rapid identity development, when career adaptability and life satisfaction are closely tied to perceptions of support and autonomy [27, 28]. Thus, examining these specific family dimensions together with adaptability and life satisfaction allows us to capture processes that are both theoretically meaningful and developmentally relevant for this age group.

The present study

Although many studies have highlighted the role of family in shaping adolescent career development, fewer have focused on the specific pathways through which family dynamics influence adaptability and well-being. A deeper understanding of these processes is especially important for developing interventions that are relevant to culturally diverse adolescent groups. To address this gap, the current study examines the links among family influence, career adaptability, and life satisfaction in a non-Western context. Drawing on data from adolescents living in Northern Cyprus, this study applies the CCMA to investigate how family support and individual adaptability contribute to well-being during this critical period.

Northern Cyprus presents a unique sociocultural and political context. As a territory recognized only by Turkey, it has developed distinct educational and social structures shaped by both Turkish and Mediterranean traditions [41, 42]. Limited international recognition and restricted global mobility present challenges for youth seeking broader career opportunities [42]. In this context, families often play a central role in shaping educational choices and career plans (Ataca, 2006) [1], reflecting a strong cultural emphasis on interdependence.

As adolescents in this region face constraints related to education, mobility, and long-term planning, adaptability becomes a crucial resource. The ability to manage uncertainty and change is shaped not only by individual traits but also by family-based support and guidance [43]. Understanding how these elements interact within specific cultural frameworks can inform more responsive and effective career development approaches. This study offers insights that may apply not only to Northern Cyprus, but also to broader efforts to design culturally sensitive supports for adolescents in underrepresented or non-Western contexts [10, 44].

Building on this work, the present study contributes to the CCMA in three ways. First, it conceptualizes family influence as part of adaptive readiness and examines how distinct family dimensions (informational support, financial support, expectations, and values/beliefs) relate to adolescents’ career adaptability and life satisfaction within a single model. Second, it tests these relationships in a politically and socially constrained non-Western context—Northern Cyprus—where family involvement in educational and career choices is especially pronounced. Third, by comparing different facets of family influence, the study clarifies which aspects of family involvement function as promotive resources and which appear less strongly related to adolescents’ adaptive functioning and well-being. Together, these contributions refine the role of family in the CCMA and broaden its applicability beyond Western university samples.

Guided by the CCMA [6, 7], we treated family influence as a contextual form of adaptive readiness that can foster the internal resource of career adaptability, which in turn is expected to promote positive adaptation outcomes such as life satisfaction. Specifically, we anticipated that higher levels of informational and financial support would be associated with greater career adaptability and higher life satisfaction. In contrast, we expected that family expectations and shared values might show weaker or more inconsistent links with adaptability and life satisfaction because they can involve both support and pressure. Finally, we hypothesized that career adaptability would mediate the associations between family informational and financial support and life satisfaction, such that adolescents who receive more concrete family support would feel more adaptable and, in turn, more satisfied with their lives.

Method

Participants and procedures

Study participants included 712 high school students who were between the ages of 14 and 18 years (M = 16.57, SD = 1.25). Of the participants, 52.8% (n = 373) were girls and 47.2% (n = 339) were boys. Regarding grade, 24.2% of the participants were 9th graders, 27% of them were 10th graders, 21.3% of them were 11th graders, and 27.5% of them were 12th graders.

Inclusion criteria were: (a) being enrolled in Grades 9–12 at one of the participating high schools, (b) being able to complete the questionnaire in Turkish, and (c) living with at least one parent or legal guardian. Students who did not return parental consent forms, who declined participation on the day of data collection, or who provided largely incomplete questionnaires were excluded from the analyses.

In total, 797 students were invited to participate, of whom 733 returned consent forms and completed the questionnaire, resulting in an acceptance/participation rate of 92%. After excluding 21 incomplete surveys, the final sample for analysis comprised 712 students.

Data collection

The data were collected from six different urban high schools in Nicosia district, Northern Cyprus. Data were collected between March and May 2021. We first obtained approval from the district education authority and then contacted school principals to invite their schools to participate. After principals agreed, the socond author coordinated with school counselors and classroom teachers to schedule data collection sessions during regular class periods. Questionnaires were administered in group format in the classroom, and no incentives were provided. Before data collection, informed consent was obtained from all individual participants and their legal guardians. Voluntary students completed the questionnaires under the supervision of their teachers. Each participant was also informed about the anonymity of their responses and that they had the option to quit at any time. Of the 733 students who initially participated, 21 surveys were excluded due to incomplete responses leaving a final sample of 712 for the analyses. To examine potential nonresponse bias, we compared students with complete data (n = 712) and those with incomplete questionnaires (n = 21) on age, gender, and grade level. The groups did not differ significantly on any of these variables (p > 0.05), suggesting that listwise deletion of incomplete cases is unlikely to have biased the sample.

Instruments

Career adaptability

The Turkish language adaptation of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Short Form (CAAS-SF; [45]) was employed to measure career adaptability with 12 items and 4 subscales of concern (e.g., “Preparing for the future”), control (e.g., “Taking responsibility for my actions”), curiosity (e.g., “Investigating options before making a choice”), and confidence (e.g., “Learning new skills”). Participants respond to the items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not strong) to 5 (strongest), where higher scores reflect greater levels of career adaptability. The CAAS-SF demonstrated good validity [46] and the Turkish version exhibited similar psychometric properties with the original scale when tested among a sample of Turkish adolescents (Isik et al., 2018). Cronbach alphas were 0.78 (concern), 0.72 (control), 0.73 (curiosity), 0.77 (confidence), and 0.88 (the total scale) for the current study.

Family influence

The Turkish language adaptation of the Family Influence Scale (FIS; [47]) was utilized to measure family influence. The FIS has 22 items and 4 subscales of information support (e.g., “My family has given me information about obtaining education/training”), financial support (e.g., “Because my family supports me financially, I can focus on my career development”), family expectation (“My family expects that my choice of occupation will reflect their wishes”), and values and beliefs (e.g., “My family expects my career to match our family’s values/beliefs”). Respondents rate items using a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) and higher scores indicate higher influence of family on career development. The FIS demonstrated good validity [24] and the Turkish version exhibited similar psychometric properties with the original version in a group of Turkish adolescents [47]. Cronbach alphas were 0.85 (information support), 0.70 (financial support), 0.70 (family expectation), 0.82 (values and beliefs), and 0.78 (the total scale) for the current study.

Life satisfaction

The Turkish language adaptation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; [48]) was used to assess life satisfaction. The SWLS has 5 items that were rated using 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). A sample item is “I am satisfied with my life.” The SWLS demonstrated good validity [49] and the Turkish version exhibited similar psychometric properties with the original version in a group of Turkish adolescents [50]. Cronbach alpha was 0.75 for the current study.

Ethical considerations

The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Commitee of Cyprus International University (Approval no. 100–575). All procedures followed the principles of the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Written informed consent was obtained from parents or legal guardians, and assent was obtained from the participating students. Participation was voluntary, and students could decline or withdraw without penalty.

Data analysis

Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alphas, and correlational analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 26. All structural models were conducted in IBM AMOS version 24. Utilizing a two-step approach [51], we initially conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the discriminant validity of the study variables. In the second step, competing structural models were tested to identify the best model.

Model fit was assessed using multiple indices: chi-square (χ²), Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA), and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR). Acceptable model fit was determined by TLI and CFI values ≥ 0.90, RMSEA ≤ 0.06, and SRMR ≤ 0.08, following guidelines by Hu and Bentler [52]. To compare competing models, ΔCFI ≤ 0.01 and ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015 were considered indicators of meaningful improvement, as chi-square differences may be inflated by large sample sizes [53]. To estimate the latent variables, we used five respective items of life satisfaction, four subscales of career adaptability, and three item parcels for each family influence subscale using the item-to-construct balancing method [54].

Results

Preliminary analysis

Before conducting the main analyses, preliminary checks were performed to evaluate normality and identify potential outliers. The skewness values ranged from –0.86 to 0.78, and the kurtosis values fell between –0.69 and 0.41, all within the acceptable limits suggested by Kline [55], indicating no major departures from normality. Additionally, Mahalanobis distance scores revealed no univariate outliers. Table 1 demonstrates the means, standard deviations, and intercorrelations of the study variables. As seen, small to moderate correlations were observed among all study variables. None of the correlation coefficients exceeded 0.80, indicating a low risk of multicollinearity [56].

Table 1.

Means, standard deviations, and correlations among variables

Variables	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6
1. Family informational support	3.69	1.06	—
2. Family financial support	3.77	0.92	.41**	—
3. Family expectations	2.13	1.07	-.16**	-.41**	—
4. Family values and beliefs	2.32	1.17	-.06	-.24**	.58**	—
5. Career adaptability	3.84	0.76	.34**	.30**	.20**	-.13**	—
6. Life satisfaction	4.78	1.26	.32**	.32**	-.14**	-.09*	.36**	—

^*p <.05; ^**p <.001; Range for family influence subdimensions: 1–5, range for career adaptability: 1–5, range for life satisfaction: 1–7

Measurement model

To assess the distinctiveness of the study constructs, several confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted. Initially, a one-factor model combining all latent variables was tested to evaluate potential common method variance (CMV). The poor model fit indicated that CMV was not a concern in this study. Subsequently, two-factor, three-factor, and six-factor models were examined. Fit indices for these models are displayed in Table 2. Among them, the six-factor model demonstrated the best fit to the data: χ² (358) = 907.16, CFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.04, 90% CI [0.04–0.05], and SRMR = 0.05. These results support the discriminant validity of the constructs. All factor loadings were statistically significant (p < 0.001), ranging from 0.56 to 0.93, indicating that the latent variables were reliably represented by their observed indicators.

Table 2.

Goodness-of-fit indices for the CFA models

Model	χ2	df	χ2/df	TLI	CFI	RMSEA [90% CI]
1-Factor model	4229.91	384	11.02	.476	.505	.119 [.115–.122]
2-Factor model	3306.54	372	8.89	.588	.622	.105 [.102–.109]
3-Factor model	2463.28	370	6.66	.704	.730	.089 [.086–.093]
6-Factor model	907.16	358	2.53	.920	.929	.046 [.043–.050]

1-Factor model: the six factors combined; 2-Factor model: the four factors of FIS and career adaptability combined; 3-Factor model: the four factors of FIS combined; 6-factor model: all six factors were treated as independent. The best fitting model was shown in bold

Structural model

We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test our hypothesized effects. To do this, we compared three plausible alternative models. The first model (Model A: Partially mediated model) included all direct and indirect, through career adaptability, relations between family influence dimensions and life satisfaction (Fig. 1). The second model (Model B: Full mediation) included indirect relations between family influence dimensions and life satisfaction via career adaptability, with no paths from family influence dimensions to life satisfaction. The third model (Model C: No mediation) involved direct relations between family influence dimensions and career adaptability and life satisfaction, with no paths from career adaptability to life satisfaction (Table 3).

Fig. 1.

The partial mediation model. Note: Standardized coefficients are displayed. Dashed lines indicate nonsignificant paths where solid lines indicate significant paths (all p <.001)

Table 3.

Goodness-of-fit indices for the structural models

Model	χ2	df	TLI	CFI	RMSEA [90% CI]	Comparison	ΔCFI	ΔRMSEA
Model A: Partially mediated)	907.16	358	.920	.929	.046 [.043–.050]	–	–	–
Model B: Full mediation)	958.64	362	.914	.923	.048 [.044–.052]	MA vs. MB	.006	.002
Model C: No mediation)	946.54	359	.914	.924	.048 [.044–.052]	MA vs. MC	.005	.002

When the three models were compared, although the difference did not reach ΔCFI ≤ 0.01 or ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015, the best fitting model was the partially mediated model (Model A). Thus, we retained the partially mediated model to calculate direct and indirect effects. As seen in Fig. 1, family informational support and financial family support positively predicted career adaptability (β= 0.25 and 0.24, respectively, p < 0.001), and life satisfaction (β= 0.15, p < 0.01 and β= 0.24, p < 0.001, respectively). Career adaptability positively predicted life satisfaction (β= 0.31, p < 0.001).

We also examined the indirect effects of family informational support and financial support on life satisfaction as mediated by career adaptability. By applying the bias-corrected bootstrapping technique [57], we calculated confidence intervals (CIs) from 1000 bootstrapped samples. The results indicated that career adaptability mediated the relationship between family informational support and life satisfaction (indirect effect = 0.08, Boot SE = 0.03, 95% (CI) = [0.04, 0.12]). Similarly, career adaptability mediated the relationship between family financial support and life satisfaction (indirect effect = 0.07, Boot SE = 0.03, 95% (CI) = [0.04, 0.13]). Given that the paths from family informational support and financial support to life satisfaction were significant, we can conclude that the mediations were partial.

Discussion

This study, grounded in the Career Construction Model of Adaptation (CCMA), examined how different forms of family influence relate to adolescents’ life satisfaction, with career adaptability serving as a potential mediator. Results from the structural equation modeling supported a partial mediation model, suggesting that family support—both on its own and through its effect on career adaptability—meaningfully contributes to adolescents’ well-being. These findings should be interpreted in light of the sociocultural context in which the study was conducted. Northern Cyprus, as a politically contested and internationally unrecognized territory, presents limited access to global mobility and fewer educational or career opportunities [41, 42]. Such constraints may heighten adolescents’ reliance on family for both material and psychological support. In this setting, informational and financial support may serve as essential resources that foster adaptability and a sense of agency.

Theoretically, these findings refine the CCMA by specifying how particular aspects of the family context function as adaptive readiness resources for adolescents. Rather than treating “family” as a single, undifferentiated influence, our results indicate that concrete forms of support—namely, providing information and financial resources—are the elements most clearly linked to both career adaptability and life satisfaction. Expectations and shared values, in contrast, did not show significant associations with either outcome once the other variables were considered. This pattern suggests that, during adolescence, it may be the tangible assistance that families offer which most directly enhances young people’s sense of flexibility and optimism about the future. Our results therefore help clarify which family processes are most central to the adaptivity–adaptability–adaptation sequence described by the CCMA.

The cultural norms in Turkish–Mediterranean societies, which emphasize familial interdependence, likely amplify these effects. Adolescents often weigh family expectations heavily when making career decisions, seeking alignment with parental approval [29]. Investigating family influence in this cultural setting helps address a gap in the literature and underlines the need for context-sensitive frameworks in understanding adolescent career development across diverse, non-Western populations.

One key finding was the predictive role of informational support in enhancing both career adaptability and life satisfaction. This pattern is consistent with earlier work showing that adolescents who receive concrete guidance, feedback, and encouragement about educational and vocational options tend to feel more capable of handling career-related tasks and report higher well-being (e.g., [5, 24, 58]). In settings like Northern Cyprus, where young people are making choices against a backdrop of economic and political uncertainty, access to accurate and realistic information from trusted adults may be especially valuable. Such support can help adolescents understand their options, reduce ambiguity, and feel more confident when facing high-stakes decisions about their future.. Adolescents who receive meaningful advice from their families are more likely to feel capable of managing future transitions. In addition to aiding decision-making, this form of support may reduce uncertainty and bolster self-efficacy, contributing to greater psychological well-being [17, 59]. When adolescents feel informed and supported, they tend to report a stronger sense of purpose and fulfillment in both personal and vocational domains.

A second important result was the positive relationship between financial support and career adaptability, which, in turn, predicted life satisfaction. Among the various forms of family influence considered, financial support emerged as a noteworthy contributor to both adaptability and well-being. This finding is consistent with existing literature [4, 5] and aligns with the CCMA’s emphasis on contextual affordances—suggesting that environmental resources, like financial stability, facilitate adaptive responses to career challenges [7, 25]. Adolescents with greater access to financial support may find it easier to explore career options, acquire skills, and pursue further education, thereby increasing their adaptability and overall satisfaction with life [16, 60].

A noteworthy finding was the lack of significant relationships between family expectations or shared values and both career adaptability and life satisfaction. While family expectations are often assumed to serve as motivational anchors, they may also generate stress or internal conflict [61]. One possible interpretation is that the impact of expectations depends more on how they are communicated than on their content. Factors such as relationship quality, emotional closeness, and communication style may play a more pivotal role than values themselves [62, 63]. It’s also possible that other influences—like peer relationships or school environments—have greater relevance in shaping adolescent adaptability and emotional outcomes during this stage [38, 64]. These findings highlight the need to treat family influence as a multifaceted construct and to consider how its dimensions interact in nuanced ways.

Practical implications

These findings carry important implications for professionals working with adolescents, such as school counselors, teachers, and career development specialists. Given the clear role of informational and financial support in promoting adaptability and well-being, interventions should aim to actively engage families in concrete ways. For instance, school counselors can organise joint parent–adolescent information sessions where educational and vocational options are discussed, provide parents with brief written or online materials about scholarships and training opportunities, and help connect families with limited resources to financial aid or community-based support programmes. In addition, small group activities with students can focus on how to ask for and use family support effectively when making career decisions. Schools could offer structured programs that foster parent–adolescent communication around career goals, including workshops or shared planning activities.

Encouraging parents to provide relevant guidance—while also giving adolescents the space to make autonomous choices—could help reduce conflict and strengthen family ties. Practitioners may also support students in addressing mismatches between their own goals and family expectations by facilitating dialogue and promoting mutual understanding.

Additionally, parent education initiatives can help families learn how to offer constructive support without placing undue pressure. These may include strategies for effective communication, emotional encouragement, and realistic goal setting. Family-inclusive programs that enhance relational bonds and support around career decision-making may further improve both adaptability and psychological well-being. Promoting a collaborative, growth-oriented family environment can empower adolescents to navigate career challenges with confidence and resilience.

In practical terms, school counselors and career practitioners could implement structured parent–adolescent career conversations, for example by organizing evening or weekend workshops where parents receive brief guidance on how to ask open questions, share information about educational options, and invite their adolescents’ own preferences rather than making unilateral decisions. Schools might also provide families with clear written information about scholarships, vocational programs, and training opportunities to reduce the financial uncertainty surrounding career decisions. For families with limited resources, connecting parents and students to community-based financial aid, mentoring programs, or part-time work opportunities could further support adolescents’ career adaptability. Finally, counselor-led small groups that coach adolescents on how to seek and use support from their families may help them translate existing family resources into more effective coping with career-related tasks.

Limitations and future research directions

While this study contributes to the CCMA literature by offering insights from a non-Western context, several limitations should be noted. First, the sample was drawn exclusively from adolescents in Northern Cyprus. As such, generalizability to other cultural, national, or socioeconomic settings may be limited. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings across broader and more diverse populations to enable cross-cultural comparisons.

Second, although career adaptability and life satisfaction were the central outcomes examined, other variables may also mediate or moderate the influence of family support. Constructs such as self-efficacy, identity development, academic performance, or gender could provide additional explanatory value. Future research might also benefit from exploring how adolescents perceive the quality, frequency, and type of informational support they receive and how this shapes developmental outcomes.

Finally, the cross-sectional design restricts the ability to draw conclusions about causality. Longitudinal studies would help clarify how family influence and adaptability evolve over time and contribute to adolescents’ longer-term career and well-being trajectories. Exploring how early family involvement translates into adult career success could also offer valuable insights into long-term developmental pathways.

Abbreviations

CCMA

Career Construction Model of Adaptation

FIS

Family Influence Scale

CAAS-SF

Career Adapt Abilities Scale-Short Form

SWLS

Satisfaction with Life Scale

Authors’ contributions

EI: Conceptualization, analysis, writing, review, editing; BYA: Conceptualization, data collection, writing.

Funding

The study received no funding.

Data availability

The data is available from the first author upon request.

Declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The research was conducted in full compliance with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Commitee of Cyprus International University (Approval no. 100–575). Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants and their legal guardians.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.