The Mediating Role of Emotional Self-Regulation in the Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Self-Efficacy in Parents with Phenylketonuria (PKU) Children

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived social support and parenting self-efficacy through the mediating role of emotional self-regulation in parents with a phenylketonuria (PKU) child. The statistical population consisted of 195 parents (130 women, 65 men) with PKU children, who referred to the support center for metabolic patients in Zanjan province in 2022. A total of 157 parents (113 women, 44 men) were selected by purposive sampling method. The study utilized three instruments: The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Parental Self-efficacy questionnaire (PSAM) and the Emotional Self-regulation questionnaire(ESRSQ). The data were analyzed using Smart PLS software, and the relationship between variables was assessed through partial least squares structural equation modeling. According to the bootstrap results, the direct effects of perceived support from friends on emotional self-regulation (β=0.011, p=0.24) and emotional self-regulation on parenting self-efficacy (β=0.35, p=0.0001) was significant and positive. The indirect effects of perceived support from friends (β=0.083, p=0.019) through emotional self-regulation on parenting self-efficacy were significant and positive. These findings provide new evidence that emotional self-regulation strategies may be a target for psychological interventions that attempt to increase the self-efficacy of parents with a PKU child. Our findings have implications for health care practices and supportive-therapeutic interventions for PKU patients, as they emphasize the importance of helping parents cope with PKU-related problems in families.