Table 1.

Summary of Nursing Research on Parent–Adolescent Relationships: The Discovery Approach

Source	Design	Focus/Dependent Variable	Sample Description	Results
Diem (2000)	Qualitative feminist participatory approach	Pressing concerns of parenting young adolescents	23 mothers (10 Canadian, others included Ojibwa, French, Polish, Italian, and Finnish) 32% had not completed high school Canada	The most pressing concerns were found to be difficulties dealing with daughters that included the daughter’s anger and changed behavior, their uncertainty about dealing with their daughter, and the desire to have a calm, enjoyable relationship. The strategies for change included exploring ways to relax their control, finding logical consequences, a sense of authority and direction in their relationship, and recognizing positive experiences.
Draucker (2005)	Qualitative grounded theory	Depressed adolescents and their interaction with important adults	17 adolescents, 18–21 years old; 9 African American, 8 White, 35 female, 44% students, 13% unemployed, 94% single, 5 had one child, 3 were pregnant 52 adults, 1 father, 3 mothers, and 8 professionals (coach, teacher, nurse, etc.) United States	Adolescents, parents, and professionals discussed how both adolescents and adults ignore, hide, or minimize the adolescents’ distress by putting up a façade. The three common interaction patterns that were identified were maintaining the facade, poking holes in the façade, and breaking down the façade.
Hattar-Pollara and Meleis (1995)	Descriptive qualitative	Parenting teens in a new culture	30 Jordanian mothers, 35–59 years old, M = 45, Education—20% less than primary school, 37% primary school graduate, 33% high school graduate, 10% junior college. Years in the United States: 6–33, M = 13.5 United States	Mothers described two forces that were the context of their parenting role: (a) the force of history, culture, country of origin, and ethnic community; and (b) the expectation to raise happy, well-adjusted, and socially integrated children. They accomplished their goals by enforcing a strict moral framework, vigilance, and advocacy on behalf of the children.
Lynam and Tenn (1989)	Qualitative	Communication and teen independence	Youth were 12–16 years old, M = 15.1 years Mothers’ and fathers’ race, age not reported Six families Canada	Six themes were identified but could not be separated from climate. Therefore, themes were re-analyzed within the social development context of communication. Issues were frequently complicated by emotion; negotiation became an effective approach because families had to listen to one another to do so. The teens, on the one hand, expressed their need to be valued and treated as an equal. They emphasized that they needed to be able to trust their families, particularly in terms of revealing their feelings and expecting confidentiality for their expressions. Parents, on the other hand, revealed their fears of potential dangers for their children, feeling a sense of loss at “letting go,” and requiring evidence that the teens had earned their trust in order for them to relinquish some control. To gain trust, parents needed to know that their teens would keep them informed and that the teens possessed “good judgment.”
Lloyd (2004)	Qualitative grounded theory	Teen–parent communication prior to, and during, the teen’s pregnancy	30 predominantly Hispanic teen mothers whose mean age was 17 years; 28 were single or engaged for marriage; all English speakers United States	Seven themes were identified. Poor relationships and low levels or poor communication were found among this sample with both mothers and fathers prior to becoming pregnant. Younger adolescents used stronger terms to describe this; older adolescents described their relationship in more detached terms. Having a baby was seen to increase family connectedness and communication and to provide hope for the future among younger but not older adolescents.