The primary goal of this study is to identify the differences of mothers' and children's perception regarding mothers' parenting behaviors and child behavior problems by comparing depressed mothers and non-depressed mothers. In addition, this study is...
The primary goal of this study is to identify the differences of mothers' and children's perception regarding mothers' parenting behaviors and child behavior problems by comparing depressed mothers and non-depressed mothers. In addition, this study is to compare relative effects by gender of a child and mothers' parenting behaviors as perceived by a mother and a child on behavior problems of children of depressed mothers and non-depressed mothers.
The present study involved 443 pairs of mothers and their children at the 5th grade of elementary schools and collected data through a method of a questionnaire. As a tool of measuring the extent of depression of mothers, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (Roth & Locke, 1973), which has been modified as a Korean model, was used. The Mothers' Parenting Behavior Scale (Lee Yong-joon, 2004), i.e. a modified model of the Parenting Behavior Scale (Park Young-ae, 1995), along with the Scale to Measure Mothers' Parenting Behavior Perceived by Children (Kim Moon-jeong, 2003), were used for measuring parenting behavior. In addition, the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1983, 1991), having been remodeled into the Korean version as parental scale(Oh Kyoung-ja, Lee Hae-ryeon, Hong Kang-eui, Ha Eun-hye, 1997), and the Korean Youth Self-Report (Oh-Kyoung-ja, Lee Hae-ryeon, Hong Kang-eui, Ha Eun-hye, 2001) were used.
A two-way analysis of variance, Pearson's a product-moment correlation analysis and a hierarchical multiple regression analysis were performed for dating analysises. The statistical significance was validated at p<.05 in all of the analysis process. The major result of this study is summarized as follows.
First, depressed mothers perceived that they are of less warmth and acceptance compared to non-depressed mothers and of more permissiveness, nonintervention, rejection and restriction. In addition, mothers showed behaviors of more warmth and acceptance to sons, of which tendency was found to be more obvious in a group of depressed mothers. Children of a group of depressed mothers perceived their mothers' parenting behavior as more rejective and restrictive when compared to children of a group of non-depressed mothers.
Second, this study compared evaluations by mothers and children in terms of externalizing problems and internalizing problems of children depending on depression of mothers and genders of children. Depressed mothers evaluated that their children have more externalizing and internalizing problems when compared to non-depressed mothers. However, as for externalizing problems and internalizing problems as evaluated by children, this study found no difference depending on depression of mothers. This study also found that sons are more vulnerable to externalizing problems in a group of non-depressed mothers.
Third, in a group of non-depressed mothers, genders of children exerted significant influences. It was found that children's perception towards mothers' parenting behavior has more influence than mothers' perception in both groups of mothers.
In conclusion, this study indicates that a) depression of mothers influences perception of mothers and children toward parenting behaviors and perception of mothers toward child behavior problems. Furthermore, depending on depression of mothers, this study has found that genders of children, perception of mothers and children toward to parenting behaviors, and child behaviour problems perceived by mothers and children vary. This study is intended to identify characteristics and differences of a group of depressed mothers and a group of non-depressed mothers regarding child behaviour problems and parenting behaviors, focused on perception by mothers and children. The study carries significance as it has raised a need for a specialized parental education program appropriate for depressed mothers and prepared a basic data thereof.