TY - JOUR
T1 - Parents’ Depressive Symptoms and Child Adjustment
T2 - the Mediating Role of Mindful Parenting and Children’s Self-Regulation
AU - Cheung, Rebecca Y.M.
AU - Cheng, Wing Yee
AU - Li, Jian Bin
AU - Lam, Chun Bun
AU - Chung, Kevin Kien Hoa
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2021/11
Y1 - 2021/11
N2 - Objectives: Parental depression is linked to a myriad of child adjustment outcomes. To identify the potential processes between parents’ depressive symptoms and child adjustment in early childhood, this cross-sectional study investigated mindful parenting and children’s self-regulation as mediators. Methods: Participants were 320 Chinese families involving maritally intact mothers, fathers, and children (49.01% girls) from 34.73 to 55.66 months old (M = 46.32, SD = 3.77). Mothers and fathers completed self-report questionnaires assessing parental depressive symptoms, mindful parenting, children’s self-regulation, and adjustment outcomes. Children completed a task assessing their self-regulation. A structural equation model was conducted to examine the mediation model cross-sectionally. Results: The structural equation model indicated that mindful parenting and children’s self-regulation mediated the association between parents’ depressive symptoms and children’s adjustment. Specifically, mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms were associated with their own, but not their spouses’, mindful parenting. Mindful parenting was then associated with children’s self-regulation, which was related to internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. Differential findings as a function of parents’ gender were also indicated. Conclusions: The present study revealed mindful parenting and children’s self-regulation as mediators between parental depressive symptoms and adjustment in early childhood. Both mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms were associated with mindful parenting, which was crucial for children’s self-regulation, psychosocial adjustment, and behavioral adjustment. These findings inform practitioners about the relevance of parents’ depressive symptoms and mindful parenting to children’s adjustment in early childhood.
AB - Objectives: Parental depression is linked to a myriad of child adjustment outcomes. To identify the potential processes between parents’ depressive symptoms and child adjustment in early childhood, this cross-sectional study investigated mindful parenting and children’s self-regulation as mediators. Methods: Participants were 320 Chinese families involving maritally intact mothers, fathers, and children (49.01% girls) from 34.73 to 55.66 months old (M = 46.32, SD = 3.77). Mothers and fathers completed self-report questionnaires assessing parental depressive symptoms, mindful parenting, children’s self-regulation, and adjustment outcomes. Children completed a task assessing their self-regulation. A structural equation model was conducted to examine the mediation model cross-sectionally. Results: The structural equation model indicated that mindful parenting and children’s self-regulation mediated the association between parents’ depressive symptoms and children’s adjustment. Specifically, mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms were associated with their own, but not their spouses’, mindful parenting. Mindful parenting was then associated with children’s self-regulation, which was related to internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. Differential findings as a function of parents’ gender were also indicated. Conclusions: The present study revealed mindful parenting and children’s self-regulation as mediators between parental depressive symptoms and adjustment in early childhood. Both mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms were associated with mindful parenting, which was crucial for children’s self-regulation, psychosocial adjustment, and behavioral adjustment. These findings inform practitioners about the relevance of parents’ depressive symptoms and mindful parenting to children’s adjustment in early childhood.
KW - Child adjustment
KW - Mindful parenting
KW - Parental depressive symptoms
KW - Self-regulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114292448&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s12671-021-01735-0
DO - 10.1007/s12671-021-01735-0
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85114292448
SN - 1868-8527
VL - 12
SP - 2729
EP - 2742
JO - Mindfulness
JF - Mindfulness
IS - 11
ER -