Explaining the relationship between perceived parenting styles and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: the mediation role of self-efficacy and thought fusion

Obsessive-compulsive is a disabling psychiatric disorder that often leads to significant problems in the usual way of life, job performance, social activities, and interpersonal relationships. The aim of this study was to determine the mediation role of self-efficacy and thought fusion in the relationship between perceived parenting styles and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. For this purpose, in the descriptive correlational study among second-grade high school students in Tehran, 349 students from 8 schools were selected and evaluated in terms of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, general self-efficacy, thought fusion and parental perception. Data analysis performed using structural equation modeling indicated that the thought fusion the relationship between mother's parenting style and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and self-efficacy mediate the relationship between each of two parent's parenting style and obsessive-compulsive symptoms negatively and significantly. It seems that mothers whose patterns of mother-child relationship show characteristics such as formal communication, highlighting borders and distances, and lack of emotion, eye contact and embrace, or accept their child's conditional form, prevent the formation of unconditional acceptance in their children and forming excessive responsibility, the formation of thought fusion and obsession in their offspring.