Parents’ Self-Compassion as a Moderator Between Children’s Emotional Regulation Difficulties and Parents’ Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Objectives: Recent studies suggest that children’s emotional difficulties may impact their parents’ psychological well-being, and certain protective factors could mitigate this association. The existing literature points to self-compassion as a potential protective factor against stress and difficulties. To this end, the present study aimed to explore the potential protective role of parents’ self-compassion in the prospective relationship between children’s emotional regulation difficulties and parents’ depressive symptoms. Method: The initial sample consisted of 214 children (53.3% girls; Mage = 12.71, SD = 1.37) and their parents: 209 mothers (Mage = 46.74 years, SD = 4.42) and 181 fathers (Mage = 48.85 years, SD = 5.42). The participants answered self-report questionnaires in a two-wave longitudinal study conducted over one year. A multilevel analysis was performed to examine the predictive pathways of parents’ depressive symptoms from children’s emotional regulation difficulties, parents’ self-compassion, and their interaction. Gender differences were addressed in the predictive associations. Results: Children’s emotional regulation difficulties predicted their parents’ depressive symptoms after one year, and this association was found to become attenuated as parents’ self-compassion increased. No significant gender differences were found for depressive symptoms or self-compassion, and parents’ gender did not moderate any of the longitudinal associations. Conclusion: Children’s emotional regulation difficulties may increase risk for parental depressive symptoms, but parental self-compassion mitigates this relationship. Preregistration: This study was not preregistered.