Abstract
Self-critical rumination is a type of rumination focused on the content of self-critical thoughts. Although self-criticism and rumination are two maladaptive psychological processes with a negative effect on parenting, including parenting stress, the role of self-critical rumination on parenting outcomes has never been explored. The aim of this study is to analyze the role of self-critical rumination on parenting stress and examine whether mindful parenting dimensions (listening with full attention, compassion for the child, non-judgmental acceptance of parental functioning, emotional awareness of the child, and self-regulation in parenting) mediate this association. The moderating role of child’s age in the direct and indirect effects was also examined. A sample of 265 Portuguese mothers of children/adolescents from the general community completed measures of self-critical rumination, mindful parenting, and parenting stress. Self-critical rumination was negatively associated with all mindful parenting dimensions and positively associated with parenting stress. However, only non-judgmental acceptance of parental functioning and emotional awareness of the child dimensions were significant mediators of the relationship between self-critical rumination and parenting stress. The link between self-critical rumination and parenting stress as well as the indirect effects were not moderated by the child’s age. This study identifies an important maladaptive psychological process (self-critical rumination) that explains individual differences in parenting and a mechanism that may account for the link between self-critical rumination and parenting stress, which can both be modified through intervention.
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Author Contributions
H.M. conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, participated in the data collection, performed the statistical analysis, and worte the manuscript; M.C.C. revised the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This study was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [Grant n° SFRH/BPD/70063/2010]
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Moreira, H., Canavarro, M.C. The Association Between Self-Critical Rumination and Parenting Stress: The Mediating Role of Mindful Parenting. J Child Fam Stud 27, 2265–2275 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1072-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1072-x