Perfectionistic Motherhood and Adolescents’ Internalizing Problems: A Mediation Model Through Maternal Psychological Distress

Öz

Objective: This study aims to investigate the mediating role of maternal psychological distress in the link between maternal perfectionism and adolescents’ internalizing problems. Method: The sample of the study consisted of 380 adolescents attending middle schools and their mothers. As data collection tools, mothers were administered a Demographic Information Form, the Multidimensional Parenting Perfectionism Scale (MPPS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21); adolescents were administered a Demographic Information Form and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: The results indicated that maternal perfectionism was positively associated with maternal psychological distress and with adolescents’ internalizing problems. A significant positive relationship was found between maternal psychological distress and adolescents’ internalizing problems. The indirect effect of maternal perfectionism on adolescents’ internalizing problems through maternal psychological distress was statistically significant (B = 0.01, Boot SE = 0.005, 95% CI [0.009, 0.03]). Conclusion: The findings suggest that parental perfectionism represents a critical mechanism in children’s psychological development. Maternal psychological distress also emerged as a salient factor within this model

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Parenting
• Parent-child relationships
• Perfectionism
• Psychological distress
• Anxiety

Proje Numarası

TÜBİTAK 2209

Mükemmeliyetçi Annelik ve Ergenlerin İçe Yönelim Sorunları: Annenin Psikolojik Sıkıntıları Üzerinden Bir Aracılık Modeli

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, anne mükemmeliyetçiliği ile ergenlerin içe yönelim sorunları arasındaki ilişkide annenin psikolojik sıkıntılarının aracı rolünün incelenmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Yöntem: Araştırmanın örneklemini ortaokula devam eden 380 ergen ve anneleri oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplama araçları olarak annelere Demografik Bilgi Formu, Çok Boyutlu Ebeveynlik Mükemmeliyetçiliği Ölçeği (ÇBEMÖ) ve Depresyon Anksiyete Stres Ölçeği-21 (DASS-21); ergenlere ise Demografik Bilgi Formu ile Güçler ve Güçlükler Anketi (GGA) uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Sonuçlara göre, anne mükemmeliyetçiliği, anne psikolojik sıkıntıları ve ergen içe yönelim sorunları ile pozitif yönde ilişki göstermiştir. Ayrıca, anne psikolojik sıkıntıları ile ergen içe yönelim sorunları arasında da pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki saptanmıştır. Anne mükemmeliyetçiliğinin anne psikolojik sıkıntıları aracılığıyla ergen içe yönelim sorunları üzerindeki dolaylı etkisinin anlamlı olduğunu ortaya koymuştur (B = 0.01, Boot SH = 0.005, %95 GA [0.009, 0.03]). Sonuç: Elde edilen veriler, ebeveyn mükemmeliyetçiliğinin çocukların ruhsal gelişimi açısından kritik bir mekanizma olduğunu göstermiştir. Ayrıca ebeveynin psikolojik sıkıntıları değişkeni de bu modelde dikkat çekmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ebeveynlik
• Ebeveyn-çocuk ilişkileri
• Mükemmeliyetçilik
• Psikolojik stres
• Anksiyete

Proje Numarası

TÜBİTAK 2209

Kaynakça

1. Affrunti NW, Woodruff-Borden J (2015) Parental perfectionism and overcontrol: examining mechanisms in the development of child anxiety. J Abnorm Child Psychol, 43:517- 529.
2. Bandura A, Walters RH (1977) Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall.
3. Barrow JC, Moore CA (1983) Group interventions with perfectionistic thinking. Pers Guid J, 61:612-615.
4. Burns DD (1980) The perfectionist’s script for self-defeat. Psychol Today, 14:34-52.
5. Cook LC, Kearney CA (2009) Parent and youth perfectionism and internalizing psychopathology. Pers Individ Dif, 46:325-330.
6. Cook, LC, Kearney CA (2014) Parent perfectionism and psychopathology symptoms and child perfectionism. Pers Individ Dif, 70:1-6.
7. Egan SJ, Wade TD, Shafran R (2011) Perfectionism as a transdiagnostic process: a clinical review. Clin Psychol Rev, 31:203-212.
8. Erdem G, Adli-İsleyen M, Baltalarlı N, Kılıç E (2022) Low-income Turkish mothers’ conceptions and experiences of family life. Front Psychol, 12:756278.

9. Fairburn CG, Cooper Z, Shafran R (2003) Cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders: a transdiagnostic theory and treatment. Behav Res Ther, 41:509-528.
10. Fincham JE. (2008) Response rates and responsiveness for surveys, standards, and the Journal. Am J Pharm Educ, 72:43.
11. Flett GL, Hewitt PL, Oliver JM, Macdonald S (2002) Perfectionism in children and their parents: a developmental analysis. In Perfectionism: Theory, research, and treatment (Eds GL Flett, PL Hewitt):89-132. Washington DC, American Psychological Association.
12. Frost RO, Marten P, Lahart C, Rosenblate R (1990) The dimensions of perfectionism. Cognit Ther Res, 14:449-468.
13. Goodman R (1997) The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: a research note. J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 38:581-586.
14. Goodman SH, Rouse MH, Connell AM, Broth MR, Hall CM, Heyward D (2011) Maternal depression and child psychopathology: a meta-analytic review. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 14:1-27.
15. Güngör H, Buluş M (2016) Ebeveyn mükemmeliyetçiliğinin 5-6 yaş okul öncesi dönem çocuklarının algılanan kaygı düzeyini öngörmedeki rolü. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 39:147-159.
16. Güvenir T, Özbek A, Baykara B, Arkar H, Şentürk B, İncekaş S (2008) Güçler ve zorluklar anketi’nin (GGA) Türkçe uyarlamasının psikometrik özellikleri. Turk J Child Adolesc Ment Health, 15:65-74.
17. Haring M, Hewitt PL, Flett GL (2003) Perfectionism, coping, and quality of intimate relationships. J Marriage Fam, 65:143–158.
18. Hayes AF (2018) Partial, conditional, and moderated moderated mediation: Quantification, inference, and interpretation. Commun Monogr, 85:4-40.
19. Hewitt PL, Flett GL (1991) Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. J Pers Soc Psychol, 60:456-470.
20. Hollender MH (1965) Perfectionism. Compr Psychiatry, 6:94-103.
21. Holm-Denoma JM, Otamendi A, Joiner TE, (2008) On self-criticism as interpersonally maladaptive. In Self-Criticism and Self-Enhancement: Theory, Research, and Clinical Implications (Ed EC Chang):73–86. Washington DC, American Psychological Association.
22. Horesh N, Sommerfeld E, Wolf M, Zubery E, Zalsman G (2015) Father–daughter relationship and the severity of eating disorders. Eur Psychiatry, 30:114-120.
23. İnce M, Akçınar B, Yılmaz S (2025) The Mediating Role of parental perfectionism in the relationship between parenting styles and child behavior problems. Turk J Child Adolesc Ment Health, 32:147-157.
24. Kaçar-Başaran S (2022) Mükemmeliyetçilik: yapısı, tanılar üstü doğası ve bilişsel davranışçı terapisi. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar, 14:518-525.
25. Kaçar-Başaran S (2023) Perfectionism and intolerance of uncertainty as triggers of depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a structural model based on transdiagnostic approach. Dokuz Eylul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, 10:675-700.
26. Kaçar-Başaran S, Arkar H (2023) Common vulnerability factors in obsessive-compulsive and major depressive disorders: a transdiagnostic hierarchical model. Curr Psychol, 42:8414-8424.
27. Kfoury M, Noureddine A, Malaeb D, Schuch FB, El Khatib S, Dabbous M et al. (2025) Relationship between parental perfectionism and child’s disordered eating: mediating role of parental distress and validation of the arabic version of the eating disorders examination questionnaire-short-parent version (EDE-QS-P). BMC Psychiatry, 25:127.
28. Kyriazos TA (2018). Applied psychometrics: sample size and sample power considerations in factor analysis (EFA, CFA) and SEM in general. Psychol, 9:2207-2230.
29. Leung JTY (2022) Conceptualization of self-oriented parenting perfectionism and its associations with parents’ wellbeing among Chinese parents. Appl Res Qual Life, 17:3517-3540.
30. Lilley C, Sirois F, Rowse G (2020) A meta-analysis of parental multidimensional perfectionism and child psychological outcomes. Pers Individ Dif, 162:110015.
31. Limburg K, Watson HJ, Hagger MS, Egan SJ (2017) The relationship between perfectionism and psychopathology: a meta-analysis. J Clin Psychol, 73:1301-1326.
32. Lovibond SH, Lovibond PF (1995) Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Sydney, Psychology Foundation of Australia.
33. Mackinnon SP, Sherry SB, Antony MM, Stewart SH, Sherry DL, Hartling N (2012) Caught in a bad romance: perfectionism, conflict, and depression in romantic relationships. J Fam Psychol, 26:215-225.
34. Morton SM, Bandara DK, Robinson EM, Carr PEA (2012) In the 21st century, what is an acceptable response rate? Aust N Z J Public Health, 36:106–108
35. Niu H, Liu L, Wang M (2018) Intergenerational transmission of harsh discipline: the moderating role of parenting stress and parent gender. Child Abuse Negl, 79:1–10.
36. Oliveira LA, Cartaxo T, Ferreira J, Marques M, Neiva S, Cardoso D, et al. (2017) The relation between parent personality traits and children psychopathology: A pilot study. Eur Psychiatry, 41(Suppl):S258.
37. Oros LB, Iuorno O, Serppe M (2017) Child perfectionism and its relationship with personality, excessive parental demands, depressive symptoms and experience of positive emotions. Span J Psychol, 20:E9.
38. Pan B, Wang Y, Xu P, Gong Y, Zhao C, Miao J, Li Y (2024) The complex longitudinal influence of paternal and maternal parental psychological flexibility on child problem behavior: exploring the role of parenting styles. BMC Psychol, 12:793.
39. Randolph JJ, Dykman BM (1998) Perceptions of parenting and depression-proneness in the offspring: dysfunctional attitudes as a mediating mechanism. Cognit Ther Res, 22:377-400.
40. Sariçam H (2018) The psychometric properties of Turkish version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) in community and clinical samples. J Cogn Behav Psychother Res, 7:19-30.
41. Sawyer SM, Azzopardi PS, Wickremarathne D, Patton GC (2018) The age of adolescence. Lancet Child Adolesc Health, 2:223–228.
42. Snell WE, Overbey GA, Brewer AL (2005) Parenting perfectionism and the parenting role. Pers Individ Dif, 39:613-624.
43. Soenens B, Vansteenkiste M, Duriez B, Goossens L (2006) In search of the sources of psychologically controlling parenting: the role of parental separation anxiety and parental maladaptive perfectionism. J Res Adolesc, 16:539-559.
44. Stiles K, Lee SS, Luthar SS (2020) When parents seek perfection: implications for psychological functioning among teens at high-achieving schools. J Child Fam Stud, 29:3117-3128.
45. Taluy N, Maraş A (2021) Çok Boyutlu Ebeveynlik Mükemmeliyetçiliği Ölçeği: geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Nesne Psikoloji Dergisi, 9:319-333.
46. Tong Y, Lam SF (2011) The cost of being mother’s ideal child: the role of internalization in the development of perfectionism and depression. Soc Dev, 20:504-516.
47. Zhang H, Lee ZX, White T, Qiu A (2020) Parental and social factors in relation to child psychopathology, behavior, and cognitive function. Transl Psychiatry, 10:80.