# Parent–adolescent communication quality does not moderate the association of emotional burden and somatic complaints in adolescents: a cross-sectional structural equation model

## TL;DR

This study found that while emotional burden is linked to physical complaints in adolescents, communication quality with parents does not moderate this link, but it does predict complaints in boys.

## Contribution

The study reveals that parent-adolescent communication quality does not moderate emotional burden's effect on somatic complaints but is a direct predictor for boys.

## Key findings

- Emotional burden is associated with somatic complaints in adolescents regardless of gender.
- Parent-adolescent communication quality does not moderate the relationship between emotional burden and somatic complaints.
- Communication quality is a significant predictor of somatic complaints in boys but not in girls.

## Abstract

An explanation for somatic complaints in adolescence assumes that they have the function to express emotional burden if the communication of feelings in important relationships does not work sufficiently. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that in adolescents, lower quality of emotional communication with a parent goes along with a higher impact of emotional burden on somatic complaints. The aim of this study was to examine whether emotional communication quality between adolescents and parents moderates the association of emotional burden and somatic complaints. Based on data from a cross-sectional population sample (N = 1061), structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesis. In addition to the general model, models for boys and girls were compared. Emotional communication quality does not moderate the association of emotional burden and somatic complaints in the general model or in the gender-based models. However, communication quality is a significant predictor of somatic complaints for boys. Limitations are the cross-sectional nature of the data, the possible sampling bias due to the use of an online access panel, and the inclusion of one parent per adolescent. This study highlights that emotional communication quality is a predictor for somatic complaints in adolescent boys and should be addressed in therapy.

Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05332236.

A structural equation model was conducted on a data from a population sample.Emotional burden predicts somatic complaints across gender groups in adolescents.Parent–adolescent communication quality does not moderate this association.Communication quality predicts somatic complaints in boys, but not girls.

A structural equation model was conducted on a data from a population sample.

Emotional burden predicts somatic complaints across gender groups in adolescents.

Parent–adolescent communication quality does not moderate this association.

Communication quality predicts somatic complaints in boys, but not girls.