Mindful parenting mediated the longitudinal relation between mothers' depressive symptoms and child adjustment
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objectives This longitudinal study examined mindful parenting as a mediator between maternal depressive symptoms and child adjustment outcomes, including internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. Background Maternal depressive symptoms are associated with an increased risk for child psychopathology, highlighting the importance of elucidating explanatory processes. Methods Participants included 141 Chinese mothers across three time points over the course of a year, with a 6‐month interval between time points. Upon informed consent, participating mothers completed a self‐report questionnaire that assessed the study variables. Results Mindful parenting longitudinally mediated the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and child adjustment, including externalizing problems and prosocial behavior, over and above baseline mindful parenting and child adjustment. Specifically, maternal depressive symptoms negatively predicted mindful parenting. Mindful parenting further predicted children's externalizing problems and prosocial behavior but not internalizing problems. Conclusion The present findings suggested the importance of mindful parenting as a process between mothers' depressive symptoms and child adjustment. Implications In the face of maternal depressive symptoms, interventions targeting to promote mindful parenting may be helpful in fostering child adjustment.
Source: Family Relations
DOI: 10.1111/fare.13161
Authors: Rebecca Y. M. Cheung, Lixin Ren, Courtney Boise, Xiaoqian Yao, Mu Wang
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4408307412