Incorporating Mother-Daughter Groups within Clinical Settings to Increase Adolescent Females' Self-Esteem

Abstract

Risky adolescent behaviors, such as violence, teenage pregnancy, and substance abuse, have caused a national crisis throughout the United States. The research on adolescent development and familial relations has suggested that open, communicative relationships between parents and adolescents can reduce the likelihood of teenagers'involvement in unsafe behaviors, while building up their self-esteem. Research on parent-child relationships has also indicated that parents are identified by their teenagers as having the most influence on adolescents' feelings about themselves, followed by peers, siblings, grandparents, and other relatives. For example, quality relationships with parents significantly affect adolescents' general well-being and mental health. Using an object-relational framework, this article focuses specifically on ways to develop mother-daughter therapy groups to increase teenagers' self-esteem development and the maintenance of open, supportive relationships with their parents.

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