Role of pandemic-related experiences and maternal psychological distress in maternal rejection

İPLİKÇİ A. B., İlgün Y., Memisoglu-Sanli A., AYDOĞDU SÖZEN E., ŞAHİN ACAR B., Doğan A., ...Daha Fazla

Family Relations, cilt.73, sa.1, ss.74-94, 2024 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 73 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/fare.12984
  • Dergi Adı: Family Relations
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, Abstracts in Social Gerontology, AgeLine, ATLA Religion Database, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Gender Studies Database, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, vLex
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.74-94
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: chaos, COVID-19 pandemic, maternal psychological distress, perceived rejection, perceived social support
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Objective: The current study focuses on the indirect link between mothers' COVID-19 pandemic-related experiences of home chaos, pandemic-related anxiety, social support, and perceived maternal rejection through maternal psychological distress (MPD). Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had striking effects on families, and parents with school-aged children were especially considered more at risk. Yet, the growing research documented negative and positive outcomes for the parent–child relationship. Method: In this two-wave study, data were collected before (January–February 2020) and during the pandemic (November–December 2020) from 318 Turkish mothers (Mage = 37.13, SD = 5.67) with predominantly low educational attainment and children in Grades 1 to 11 (Mage = 11.57, SD = 3.05). MPD and perceived maternal rejection were measured before and during the pandemic. Maternal pandemic-related anxiety, mothers' perceived social support, and chaos in the home environment were measured only during the pandemic. Structural equation modeling was used for analysis. Results: After pre-pandemic MPD and perceived maternal rejection were controlled, MPD was positively associated with rejection during the pandemic. Pandemic-related anxiety and home chaos, but not social support, predicted maternal rejection through MPD. Conclusion: Mothers' COVID-19–related experiences were related to increased MPD, which also predicted increased maternal rejection as perceived by children. Implications: The results should be considered in developing programs for mothers facing stressful circumstances. In particular, we recommend programs that promote equal role division in the family, which could support maternal well-being, alleviate MPD, and improve the mother–child relationship.