The Mediating Role of Anxiety and Parental Stress in the Relationship between Parenting Self-Efficacy and the Parent-Child Relationship

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 M.A in Personality Psychology, Department of Psychology, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22098/jfrs.2025.16402.1220

Abstract

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the mediating role of corona anxiety and parenting stress in the relationship between parenting self-efficacy and the child-parent in mothers with preschool children.

Methods: The present study employed a cross-sectional design in which a sample of mothers with preschool children (n=250) completed the Parenting Self-Agency Measure (PSAM), the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS), the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF), and the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS).

Results: The findings of SEM revealed that parenting self-efficacy had a significant and positive direct effect on the child-parent relationship. Additionally, it demonstrated a significant negative association with anxiety and parenting stress Both anxiety and parenting stress exhibited a negative direct relationship with the child-parent relationship. The model accounted for 46% of the total variance in the child-parent relationship. Bootstrapping results indicated that anxiety and parenting stress significantly mediated the indirect effect of parenting self-efficacy on the child-parent relationship.

Conclusion: The study highlights that anxiety and parenting stress can link parenting self-efficacy to child-parent relationship. Thus, anxiety and parenting stress can disturb parenting self-efficacy and subsequently disrupt child-parent relationship.

Keywords

Journal of Family Relations Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 December 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 05 December 2025
  • Accept Date: 23 December 2025

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