Facilitating Supportive Conversations With Youth: A Dyadic Mixed-Methods Study of a Brief Narrative Sharing...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Family Psychology
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Supportive conversations are crucial for children's emotional development.
• Existing research highlights the role of family and peer systems in emotional understanding.
• Interventions facilitating supportive dialogue are needed for youth facing challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patterns, perceptions, and outcomes of a brief narrative sharing intervention.
• To assess the intervention's effectiveness in facilitating supportive conversations with youth.
• To understand how the intervention supports emotional expression and understanding in children.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach with concurrent data collection.
• 88 parent-child, peer-peer, and researcher-child dyads participated.
• Audio-recorded interviews and surveys were used, analyzed with inductive and deductive coding.

Main Results:

• Participants reported high levels of listener supportiveness and comforting responses.
• The narrative sharing activity provided valuable insights for participants.
• Five distinct interview patterns emerged, linking emotion coaching to participant perceptions.

Conclusions:

• A brief narrative sharing activity can be effectively tailored by family nurses.
• The intervention supports parents and youth in engaging in strengths-based conversations.
• This approach aids children in understanding and expressing emotions during challenging experiences.