Abstract
In recent years, Iranian society has faced persistent security threats and external aggression, making war‑related anxiety a pervasive phenomenon at the family level. This study aimed to explore the lived experience of individuals facing war anxiety and to examine the role of positive and negative family interactions in managing this anxiety. A descriptive phenomenological approach was adopted within a social interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected through in‑depth semi‑structured interviews with 19 citizens (11 women, 8 men) residing in Yazd who reported direct exposure to war conditions. Purposeful sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s (1978) seven‑step method and validated through member checking and expert review. MAXQDA 2020 was used to systematically organize the data, document the coding process, and track the development of themes. Analysis yielded three positive themes (emotional refuge of the family, emotion regulation and shared meaning‑making, family cohesion and effectiveness) and three negative themes (family conflict and tension, dysfunctional communication patterns, transmission of anxiety within the family system). Positive interactions fostered a basic sense of safety and collective resilience, thereby reducing anxiety, whereas negative interactions shifted anxiety from an individual to a systemic level and contributed to its chronicity. These findings highlight family interactions as a central mechanism that can either exacerbate or mitigate war‑related anxiety and provide a basis for designing family‑focused interventions that strengthen positive communication patterns and reduce negative ones under conditions of war threat.

Introduction
In recent years, Iranian society has faced persistent security threats and external aggression, making war-related anxiety a pervasive phenomenon at the family level. Recurring military threats and economic pressures have created a situation where families experience ongoing psychological distress (Shomali Ahmadabadi & Barkhordari Ahmadabadi, 2025). War anxiety is defined as a multidimensional and pervasive psychological response to real or perceived threats of war, encompassing cognitive dimensions (recurrent thoughts about danger), emotional dimensions (deep-seated fear and worry), behavioral dimensions (avoidance and functional impairment), and physical dimensions (bodily tension and restlessness) (Mladenović, 2004; Collins & Tam, 2024). Previous experiences have shown that during war conditions, families face not only physical and economic hardships but also significant psychological challenges, with family functioning being directly affected by these circumstances (Slone & Shoshani, 2017; Zerach & Gordon-Shalev, 2023).
The role of family in either amplifying or mitigating war-related psychological distress through positive interactions (emotional support, cohesion, adaptability, close caregiver relationships) and negative interactions (chronic conflict, emotional suppression, parental burnout, dysfunctional functioning) has been examined in numerous studies (Kurylo et al., 2024; Brickell et al., 2025). Positive family interactions serve as important protective factors during various crises. For example, close family relationships among war-affected youth in the Democratic Republic of Congo significantly moderated the association between cumulative trauma exposure and stress symptoms, emotional and behavioral problems, and even criminal behavior, such that at high levels of relationship quality, these problems were less prevalent (Betancourt et al., 2020; Barazzetti et al., 2025). Similarly, among immigrant parents with traumatic life experiences, social support and family functioning fully mediated the relationship between parental PTSD symptoms and parenting stress, with higher family functioning leading to significantly reduced parenting stress (Maru et al., 2023). Previous research has also emphasized that family cohesion and adaptability are negatively related to distress tolerance and PTSD symptoms, while unhealthy or poor family functioning positively correlates with higher stress symptoms in parents and children (Zelkowitz et al., 2022; Zerach & Gordon-Shalev, 2023).
However, despite substantial quantitative evidence from prior studies, a significant research gap exists regarding the in-depth qualitative exploration of Iranian citizens' lived experiences during war. Existing studies are predominantly quantitative, cross-sectional, and focused on Western or African populations, paying less attention to the cultural dimensions and positive/negative family interactions in managing war anxiety within the Iranian context (Brickell et al., 2025; Scharpf et al., 2020; Ungar et al., 2013). The present study, utilizing a phenomenological approach, aims to deeply explore the lived experiences of Iranian citizens during war conditions, identifying both protective and harmful interactional patterns within families. By examining individuals' lived experiences of war conditions, this study provides a principled foundation for designing family-focused interventions, supportive policies, and prevention programs under conditions of military threat.

Research Methodology
This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach within a social interpretivist paradigm. The primary aim was to understand and describe the meaning of individuals' lived experiences of positive and negative family interactions in managing war anxiety within their social and cultural context (Chowdhury, 2014). Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 19 citizens (11 women, 8 men) residing in Yazd who reported direct exposure to war conditions and recurrent mental rumination about these experiences. Purposeful sampling continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Participants were recruited through psychological service centers, social networks, and referrals from acquaintances.
Data analysis followed Colaizzi's (1978) seven-step method. The steps included: reading transcripts to gain overall familiarity; extracting significant statements; formulating meanings from significant statements; clustering meanings into themes; developing an exhaustive description of the phenomenon; producing the fundamental structure; and returning to participants for validation. To ensure trustworthiness, member checking and expert review were employed. MAXQDA 2020 software was used for systematic data organization, coding documentation, and theme development tracking. Interviews were conducted face-to-face or virtually based on participant preference, lasting 60-80 minutes. Ethical considerations including confidentiality, informed consent, and the right to withdraw were strictly observed.

Discussion
Positive Family Interactions: Protective Mechanisms Against War Anxiety
Analysis revealed three positive themes: emotional refuge of the family, emotion regulation and shared meaning-making, and family cohesion and effectiveness. These themes demonstrate how positive family interactions function as protective factors against war-related anxiety, consistent with previous research on the buffering role of family support during crises (Slone & Shoshani, 2017; Betancourt et al., 2013).
Emotional Refuge of the Family: Participants consistently described family as an emotional sanctuary providing safety, security, and comfort during threatening situations. Mutual empathy, active listening, emotional presence, and expressions of love created a space where psychological security was cultivated. One participant stated: "When bad news comes and I feel anxious, my mother just sits and listens to me without judging. Just that listening and knowing someone really cares about me reduces my fear" (Participant 3). Another noted: "On nights when we hear explosions, we all sleep in one room. Maybe nothing changes, but being together makes me feel safer" (Participant 8). This finding aligns with Brickell et al. (2025), who found that healthy family functioning positively correlates with brain health and quality of life among soldiers after traumatic brain injury. Similarly, Scharpf et al. (2024) reported that close relationships with war-affected youth moderated the association between cumulative trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms, emotional and behavioral problems. This protective mechanism operates through facilitating emotional regulation, strengthening collective resilience, and modulating the long-term effects of war trauma (Zerach & Gordon-Shalev, 2023; Slone & Shoshani, 2017).
Emotion Regulation and Shared Meaning-Making: Participants emphasized the role of family conversations about war, joint management of exposure to news, and cognitive reinterpretation of threats in collective emotion regulation. One participant shared: "We try to watch news together and talk about it. My parents usually highlight hopeful points so we don't focus only on fear" (Participant 4). Another stated: "My father said we shouldn't keep switching between news channels. We agreed to watch news together just once a day and then turn off the TV. Our anxiety actually decreased" (Participant 17). This finding aligns with Keleynikov et al. (2026), who found that parental burnout during military threats disrupts child emotional regulation. Zerach and Gordon-Shalev (2023) also linked family cohesion with distress tolerance and reduced PTSD symptoms. Shared meaning-making transforms the threat from "uncontrollable" to "manageable," breaking the anxiety cycle through collective cognitive reframing and strengthening perceived control (Gross & Hen, 2004; Scharpf et al., 2020).
Family Cohesion and Effectiveness: Maintaining daily routines, role distribution, and collective decision-making strengthened family cohesion and psychological stability. One participant explained: "Even though the outside situation was chaotic, my mother insisted we maintain our usual routines as much as possible—breakfast, studying, housework. This simple order helped us feel life was still ongoing" (Participant 19). This finding aligns with Graham (2020) and Zelkowitz et al. (2022), who identified family functioning as a key factor in reducing mental health concerns during war. Janssen et al. (2025) found that parental interventions with war-affected individuals improved social functioning. Brajković et al. (2024) linked family cohesion with children's socio-emotional functioning. Family cohesion creates a sense of continuity and predictability, serving as a resilience resource during war conditions, reducing anxiety symptoms through improved coping capacity.
Negative Family Interactions: Amplifying and Chronicizing Anxiety
The three negative themes—family conflict and tension, dysfunctional communication patterns, and transmission of anxiety within the family system—demonstrate how family can become a source of anxiety exacerbation rather than relief. These findings align with Keleynikov et al. (2026) on parental burnout and Zelkowitz et al. (2022) on the relationship between war-related mental health concerns and family functioning.
Family Conflict and Tension: Participants described how family conflicts, mutual blame, and disagreements over safety decisions transformed the home environment from a source of security to a source of stress. One participant stated: "Almost every time the topic of war comes up, arguments escalate. We argue so much about what's safer that these arguments become more stressful than the explosions themselves" (Participant 2). Another noted: "My parents had disagreements before, but with the war starting, every decision became an excuse for a new argument. I feel like I'm in the middle of a battlefield both outside and inside the home" (Participant 9). Family conflicts disrupted the basic sense of safety, created a cycle of individual-to-interpersonal anxiety transmission, and perpetuated psychological distress (Catani et al., 2008; Gorman-Smith et al., 2004; Kurylo et al., 2024).
Dysfunctional Communication Patterns: Silence about fears, emotional invalidation, and suppression of emotions prevented healthy emotional processing. One participant explained: "No one in our family talks about their fears. If we say something, the topic changes quickly. Gradually, I learned not to say anything and keep my worries to myself" (Participant 5). Another stated: "When I say I'm afraid of going out, they say 'don't be such a baby.' These reactions make me feel my fear is abnormal, and I blame myself more" (Participant 13). This finding aligns with Maru et al. (2023), who identified poor family functioning as exacerbating stress, and Zerach and Gordon-Shalev (2023), who linked emotional suppression with higher PTSD symptoms. Dysfunctional communication patterns function as maladaptive defense mechanisms that, while temporarily suppressing anxiety, ultimately contribute to its chronicity by preventing constructive emotional processing, shared meaning-making, and emotion regulation (Slone & Shoshani, 2017).
Transmission of Anxiety Within the Family System: Participants described how parental anxiety reactions—excessive worry, catastrophic predictions, and overprotective behaviors—transferred to children, making the family environment appear more threatening than actual circumstances warranted. One participant stated: "My father constantly follows the news, and whenever there's news, he says loudly that everything's getting worse... Even if we were calm before, seeing his reaction makes us anxious again" (Participant 6). Another explained: "My parents constantly tell me not to go out, not to open windows, that something could happen any moment. Gradually, I feel the world outside is completely unsafe" (Participant 10). This finding aligns with Keleynikov et al. (2026) on parental burnout, and Zelkowitz et al. (2022) demonstrating that war-related mental health concerns significantly correlate with family functioning. Anxiety transmission occurs through observation of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dimensions, where anxious parents transfer patterns of risk perception and vulnerability through both overt emotional expressions and implicit cues. This creates a self-reinforcing cycle extending anxiety from individual to systemic levels, such that war anxiety becomes part of the family's shared emotional identity (Paydariniyam et al., 2025; Brajković et al., 2024).

Conclusion
This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Iranian citizens regarding positive and negative family interactions in managing war-related anxiety. Three positive themes—emotional refuge of the family, emotion regulation and shared meaning-making, and family cohesion and effectiveness—and three negative themes—family conflict and tension, dysfunctional communication patterns, and transmission of anxiety within the family system—were identified. Positive family interactions function as powerful protective factors, reducing war anxiety through provision of emotional safety, collective meaning-making, and structured support. In contrast, negative interactions amplify and chronicize anxiety through conflict, emotional suppression, and intergenerational transmission of distress.
The findings demonstrate that during war conditions, family operates not merely as a peripheral unit but as an active system for regulating, transmitting, and reproducing emotion. Positive family interactions foster a basic sense of safety and collective resilience, while negative interactions shift anxiety from individual to systemic levels and contribute to its persistence. This research contributes to understanding cultural and contextual dimensions of war-related anxiety in Iran, addressing a significant research gap in qualitative explorations of lived experiences. The findings provide a basis for designing family-focused interventions that strengthen positive communication patterns and reduce negative ones under war threat conditions.
The study's limitations include its qualitative nature, convenience sampling, focus on one city, reliance on retrospective self-reports, and the specific timing of the research during ongoing security threats. Future research should employ mixed-methods approaches across diverse regions, examine various family structures and age groups, and evaluate the effectiveness of family-based interventions through longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs to provide stronger evidence for policy planning. Family-focused interventions should prioritize strengthening emotional communication, teaching emotion regulation skills, reducing anxiety transmission, and enhancing family cohesion. Integrating these interventions into counseling and psychological services for families exposed to war threats can significantly mitigate anxiety symptoms and promote psychological well-being in affected communities.