Parents’ Depressive Symptoms and Child Adjustment: the Mediating Role of Mindful Parenting and Children’s Self-Regulation

Parental depression is linked to a myriad of child adjustment outcomes. To identify the potential processes between parents’ depressive symptoms and in early childhood, this cross-sectional study investigated mindful parenting children’s self-regulation as mediators. Participants were 320 Chinese families involving maritally intact mothers, fathers, children (49.01% girls) from 34.73 55.66 months old (M = 46.32, SD 3.77). Mothers fathers completed self-report questionnaires assessing parental symptoms, parenting, self-regulation, Children task their self-regulation. A structural equation model was conducted examine mediation cross-sectionally. The indicated that mediated association adjustment. Specifically, mothers’ fathers’ associated with own, but not spouses’, parenting. Mindful then which related internalizing problems, externalizing prosocial behavior. Differential findings function gender also indicated. present revealed mediators childhood. Both crucial for psychosocial adjustment, behavioral These inform practitioners about relevance