Understanding Family Functioning as a Protective Factor for Adolescents’ Mental Health from the Parental Perspective: Photovoice in Rural Communities of Ecuador

Venus Medina-Maldonado, Majo Carrasco-Tenezaca, Molly Frey and Esteban Baus-Carrera ()
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Venus Medina-Maldonado: Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Faculty of Health and Wellness, Nursing School, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Nayón 170530, Ecuador
Majo Carrasco-Tenezaca: Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Faculty of Habitat, Infrastructure and Creativity, Architecture School, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Nayón 170530, Ecuador
Molly Frey: Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OU-HCOM), Ohio University, Dublin, OH 43016, USA
Esteban Baus-Carrera: Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Observatorio de Comunicación (OdeCom), Faculty of Health and Wellness, Medicine School, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador, Nayón 170530, Ecuador

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: Families in rural communities face a constellation of challenges that significantly hinder their ability to support adolescents. Our study aimed to explore family functioning as a protective factor for adolescent mental health from the perspective of parents in rural communities of southern Ecuador, using Photovoice as a participatory research tool. The research design corresponds to Participatory Action Research. Five Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted. A total of 29 parents of adolescents participated in the study. The research team employed qualitative content analysis for the interpretation phase. Through photographs and focus groups, parents commented on aspects of family life that they perceived as necessary for supporting adolescents, such as effective communication, cohesion, supervision, and expressions of care. The main conclusion indicated that the implementation of Photovoice converted participants from subjects to collaborators, allowing them to critically reflect on their behaviors while aiding or reinforcing in the co-creation of strategies.

Keywords: adolescent mental health; rural communities; photovoice; protective factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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