Perspectives of Mothers with Children Aged 12–18 on Listening Barriers in Mother–Child Communication

Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, Early View

Published Online: 29 July 2026, Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.26.3.19

RESEARCH ARTICLE /ARAŞTIRMA YAZISI

Perspectives of Mothers with Children Aged 12–18 on Listening Barriers in Mother–Child Communication

12-18 Yaş Çocuğu Olan Annelerin, Anne-Çocuk İletişiminde Dinleme Engellerine Yönelik Görüşleri

Gülay Temiz¹ , Şerife Kaya¹

Abstract:

People need someone around them who listens attentively, and they enjoy talking about themselves. They feel comfortable and can more easily express their feelings in the presence of a good listener. Listening and showing that they are being listened to is the best support a person can receive. A person who can express themselves is more willing to share their experiences and knowledge. Adolescents who feel heard by their parents can express themselves comfortably and in healthy ways. Listening to a child doesn’t mean fulfilling all their needs. Even just feeling listened to will meet their needs. In light of this information, the aim of this study is to examine listening barriers in communication between mothers and adolescents and thus to advance the literature. Accordingly, the views of mothers with children aged 12-18 regarding listening barriers in mother-child communication were examined. The research was designed and conducted within a phenomenological qualitative framework. The study group consisted of 20 mothers living in Konya province who had at least one child aged 12-18. Participants were asked questions from a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher. The answers were coded using MAXQDA 24, and the resulting themes were analyzed. Findings: The identified themes were “Listening Barriers” and “Solution Suggestions and Approaches.” In conclusion, the mother’s workload and fatigue, the communication b environment, and physical barriers were among the main causes of listening barriers. The most frequently highlighted attitude and approach was judgmental and critical. Restricting the child’s speech, interrupting them, and using critical, judgmental, and prejudiced language were found to create listening barriers to effective communication. The findings offer suggestions for developing parent education programs and strengthening mother-adolescent relationships. Furthermore, the study has the potential to provide a foundation for future research and family-based interventions.

Keywords: Parent–Adolescent communication, Listening barriers, Adolescence.

¹Selçuk University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Konya, Türkiye.

Address of Correspondence/Yazışma Adresi: Gülay Temiz, Selçuk University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Alaeddin Keykubat Campus, 42130 Selçuklu, Konya, Türkiye. E-mail: [email protected].

Date of Received/Geliş Tarihi: 27.10.2025, Date of Revision/Düzeltme Tarihi: 04.05.2026, Date of Acceptance/Kabul Tarihi: 04.05.2026, Date of Online Publication/Çevirimiçi Yayın Tarihi: 03.08.2026

Citing/Referans Gösterimi: Temiz, G. & Kaya, Ş. (2026). Perspectives of mothers with children aged 12–18 on listening barriers in mother–child communication. Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.35365/ctjpp.26.3.19

© 2026 The Author(s). Published by Cyprus Mental Health Institute / Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology (www.ktppdergisi.com). This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/