An Intergenerational Analysis of Social Factors Affecting Families’ Mental Health

Abstract

This study aimed to identify and explain intergenerational similarities and differences in perceptions of the social factors affecting the mental health of families residing in Tehran. This qualitative study was conducted using conventional qualitative content analysis. The participants were 24 members of three generations from eight families living in Tehran, selected through purposive maximum-variation sampling. One older adult, one middle-generation adult, and one young adult were recruited from each family. Data were collected exclusively through individual semi-structured interviews lasting approximately 45–75 minutes. Following informed consent, the interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed concurrently with data collection. Theoretical saturation was reached during the twenty-first interview, followed by three confirmatory interviews to ensure the stability and completeness of the emerging categories. The data were analyzed through inductive coding, constant within- and between-generation comparison, abstraction of categories, and the use of NVivo software. Credibility and trustworthiness were enhanced through member checking, peer review of the coding process, maintenance of an audit trail, reflexive documentation, and rich description of participants and contexts. Five main categories were identified: “intergenerational reproduction of economic pressure and future insecurity,” “transmission of emotional silence and mental health stigma,” “reconfiguration of family authority, gender roles, and boundaries of autonomy,” “transformation of family support networks and social capital,” and “the dual nature of digital life and inequality in access to mental health services.” Older participants emphasized endurance, family cohesion, and kinship-based support. Middle-generation participants experienced the simultaneous burdens of economic provision, parenting, and caring for older relatives. Younger participants emphasized psychological autonomy, emotional dialogue, uncertainty about the future, social comparison, and the contradictory consequences of digital environments. Family mental health is shaped by the dynamic interaction of socioeconomic conditions, communication patterns, power relations, mental health literacy, digital environments, and available support resources. Effective interventions should move beyond individual treatment and adopt family-centered, intergenerational, culturally responsive, and socially informed approaches. Reducing stigma, strengthening intergenerational dialogue, supporting the middle generation, improving digital literacy, and expanding affordable community-based services may protect the mental health of all family generations.