Objective: This study aimed to explore the problems and vulnerabilities experienced by adolescents living in Alborz Province who grow up in families with communicative conflicts, based on the adolescents’ own lived experiences.
Method: A qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach and thematic analysis based on Colaizzi’s model. The sample consisted of adolescents aged 12–18 years, selected through convenience sampling until data saturation was reached. Following initial screening using the Parent–Adolescent Conflict Questionnaire, data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed in accordance with Colaizzi’s seven-step procedure.
Findings: Analysis of participants’ narratives revealed an interconnected network of emotional, biological, and behavioral consequences, centered on a lack of empathic parental responsiveness and neglect of adolescents’ needs. The main themes included feelings of rejection and being ignored, chronic anxiety and fear, guilt and shame, avoidant reactions and silence, suppressed anger and covert aggression, sleep and eating disturbances, suicidal ideation and feelings of meaninglessness, academic decline and demotivation, social withdrawal, and changes in peer relationships.
Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for multilevel interventions at the family, school, and individual levels. These include training parents in sensitive parenting and constructive feedback, school-based screening and rapid referral programs for high-risk cases, and providing adolescents with emotion regulation skills, sleep hygiene education, and counseling support. Such measures may strengthen alternative support systems, reduce the erosive effects of perceived rejection, and inform culturally responsive interventions and supportive policies within schools and family counseling services.