Communication Model Test of Family Emotional Environment with Perceived Stress: The Role of Mediator Difficulties in Emotion Regulation

Difficulties of emotional regulation through factors related to family emotional environment are affected perceived stress levels. This study aims to provide a causal model to explain the relationships of family emotional variables (parenting styles and negative emotion expressiveness in the family) with perceived stress level were performed according to the role of mediator of difficulties in emotion regulation. The sample consisted of 215 teenage students (168 girls and 47 boys) and their parents that adolescents were selected by randomly sampling method. To collect the research data, it was completed the scale of difficulties in emotional regulation (DERS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), family expression scale (FEQ) by teens and parenting style questionnaire (OSQ) by parents. Data were analyzed by using structural equation modeling. The results of factor analysis showed acceptable fit for relationship of emotional regulation difficulties and negative emotional expression in families with perceived stress. Based on path analysis, the direct effect of the difficulties in emotional regulation and negative expression on perceived stress had significant effects. The relationship between parenting styles with perceived stress variables and difficulties of emotional regulation on structural equation modeling was insignificant that was eliminated.  Also, there was significant relationship between the expressions of negative emotions in families with difficulties in emotional regulation. Research results show the role of negative emotion expressiveness in the family and emotional regulation difficulties at teen’s perceived stress level.