Investigating the Relationship between "Maternal Psychological Flexibility in Parenting" and Adolescent Depression

Given the many negative consequences associated with adolescent depression, researchers are trying to gain a better understanding of the factors involved in causing and exacerbating the symptoms of this disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the "psychological flexibility of mother in parenting" with adolescent depression after statistical control of the effect of maternal depression.

To investigate this goal, the descriptive-correlation method was used The study population consisted of first-grade high school students in Tehran, Boldaji, and Hamedan and their mothers in the academic year 2019-2020. 432 adolescent mothers were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling. Inclusion criteria were living with both parents and the mother being literate (at least fifth grade). Adolescents living in welfare-supervised centers (homeless) were excluded from the study. Data were collected using psychological flexibility in parenting Questionnaire, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire, and Adolescent Self-Reporting Questionnaire.

The results showed that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between adolescent depression and maternal depression (p = 0.001). Also, "maternal psychological flexibility in parenting" had a statistically significant negative relationship with adolescent depression (p = 0.001). Also, after statistical control of the effect of maternal depression, "psychological flexibility of the mother in parenting" was able to significantly predict adolescent depression (p = 0.001).

More psychological flexibility in parenting causes the mother to be more involved in positive parenting practices and positive parenting practices are associated with less depression in children.