Communication Openness, Anxiety and Stress among Young Adults: A Correlational Study

Abstract

This study examines communication openness between young adults and their parents and its effect on the anxiety and stress levels of the young adults. The family being at the center of India’s social structure, relationships formed within the family shape all other interpersonal relationships that individuals form in their life. Hence, it is important to focus on communication openness between young adults and their parents to plan effectful interventions while treating anxiety and stress, whose prevalence increases day-by-day in today’s world. We chose a sample of 51 individuals falling between the age range of 18-25 years using purposive sampling and we used SPSS to analyze the data collected. We found the correlation between communication openness and anxiety and stress to be -0.425 and -0.277 respectively, which indicates that while anxiety has a strong negative correlation, stress has a weak negative correlation. Anxiety, being a cognitive disorder based on worrying, reduces when individuals communicate openly. Stress, on the other hand, is based on real events, in which case talking about it rarely reduces it. These factors can change how family interventions are planned involving young adults to treat their anxiety and stress levels.