Families Can Talk About It

Studies have demonstrated the importance of open communication about emotions within the family to socio-emotional competence in children.

Parental discourse about emotions is also related to children's social interactions and relationships with peers, and children's emotional resilience and ability to cope constructively with challenging situations.

Differences have been described in parents' capacity to assist their children with emotional expression. It has been observed that parents who are aware of emotions, particularly negative emotions, can talk about and accept these emotions in themselves. These parents also are aware of emotions in their children and have the ability to assist their children in understanding their emotions.

Openness in discussing one's emotions is often described as an essential component in coping with anxiety that may be associated with distressful events.

Many theoretical perspectives, such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral theories, hypothesize a direct relationship between healthy coping and openness in disclosing information about one's emotions and feelings.

Research supports the theoretically defined relationship between disclosure of emotions and healthy coping.

Talking about feelings associated with traumatic or distressing events is linked to psychological well-being, improved functioning, better self-reported health, and better immune responses.

The presence of open communication styles in individuals can support or enhance their ability to accurately process and cope with distressing events, which are key aspects to successful resolution of distressing experiences.

Indeed, communicating openly about one's feelings and emotions is commonly recommended and encouraged by mental health professionals for both adults and children who are coping with frightening events. This enables adults and children to reflect on their emotions aroused by the event and perhaps allows them to engage challenging situations more effectively.

In this way, open discourse about emotions is considered an important characteristic of protective processes that underlie resilience in stressful times (Lutz, 2007).