Relationship between parental negative family expressiveness and internalizing problems among adolescents: mediating roles of emotional clarity and emotion dysregulation

This study aimed to examine the direct relationship between negative family expressiveness and internalizing problems, as well as the mediating roles of emotional clarity and emotion dysregulation. A sample of Chinese families (N = 499) comprising adolescents and their parents was included. Parents completed the Family Expressiveness Questionnaire, while adolescents completed the Strengths and the Difficulties Questionnaire, the Trait Meta-Mood Scale, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. The results indicated that negative family expressiveness had a direct connection with internalizing problems. Moreover, negative family expressiveness had an indirect association with internalizing problems through the sequential mediating roles of emotional clarity and emotion dysregulation. These findings enhanced the understanding of the mechanism of internalizing problems and provided new perspectives for the prevention and treatment of internalizing problems among adolescents.