PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS CAUSING EMOTIONAL STRAIN IN ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

This study is devoted to identifying and analyzing the psychological factors that cause emotional strain during adolescence. Adolescence is considered a particularly complex stage of personality development, characterized by a mismatch between biological maturation, psychological changes, and social demands, which leads to emotional instability and internal conflicts. The empirical part of the study involved 120 adolescents aged 13–16, whose levels of state (reactive) and trait (stable) anxiety were assessed using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) adapted by Ch. Spielberger and Yu. L. Khanin. The results indicate that the majority of adolescents demonstrate moderate to high levels of anxiety, confirming that emotional strain is a widespread phenomenon during this developmental period. In addition, the nature of family relationships was found to have a statistically significant impact on adolescents’ emotional strain, with higher anxiety levels observed among those raised in conflictual family environments. The findings highlight the multifactorial nature of emotional strain in adolescence and emphasize the importance of comprehensive psychological support, preventive measures, and family–school cooperation to enhance adolescents’ emotional stability and stress resilience.