Abstract

CARVALHO-SIMOES, Sónia; INACIO, Filipa  and  ESPIRITO-SANTO, Helena. Children’s social and emotional behavior: Role of maternal emotion regulation, psychopathological symptomatology, and family functioning. Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2022, vol.40, n.1, pp.117-131.  Epub June 30, 2022. ISSN 0870-8231.  https://doi.org/10.14417/ap.1905.

Research has demonstrated that maternal emotion regulation strategies (self-criticism and self-compassion), mental health, and family functioning impacts child functioning. Due to the paucity of studies, we aimed to analyze: (1) the associations between maternal emotion regulation strategies, psychopathological symptomatology, family functioning, and mother’s perceived child social and emotional behavior (SEB); (2) the differences in mother’s perceived child SEB, according to maternal, child and family characteristics; (3) the predictive role of maternal emotion regulation in mother’s perceived child SEB. A sample of 431 mothers (25-59 years), with children aged 4-17 years (55.5% male), answered the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self- Reassuring Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale. The results showed positive associations between self-criticism, maternal psychopathological symptomatology, worse family functioning and child social and emotional problems, as well between maternal self-compassion and child prosocial behaviors. Mothers who reported low income, elementary school education, a history of psychiatric illness and whose children had early behavior changes perceived more social and emotional difficulties in their children. Maternal self-criticism was the main predictor of child social and emotional difficulties. In conclusion, maternal emotion regulation strategies and psychopathological symptomatology are associated with family functioning and child SEB.

Keywords : Children’s social and emotional behavior; Strengths and difficulties; Mothers; Family functioning; Mental health; Self-compassion; Self-criticism..

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