Determinants of mindful parenting: a cross-cultural examination of parent and child reports

Abstract

Based on Belsky’s process of parenting model and its recent update, the present study aims to explore multiple determinants of mindful parenting (i.e., parents’ psychological distress, child negative emotionality, and parental social support) across the UK and Türkiye using a multi-informant approach and multiple-group path analysis. We considered both parents’ and children’s perceptions of mindful parenting to obtain a complete picture of the mindful parenting process within families. Parents and their children aged 11–16 years were recruited in the UK (N = 101, Mchild age = 13.06 years, SDchild age = 1.64 years) and Türkiye (N = 162, Mchild age = 13.28 years, SDchild age = 1.65 years). Multiple-group path analysis revealed that both parent and child perspectives of mindful parenting are multiply determined. Parental psychological distress mediated the associations of child negative emotionality and social support with mindful parenting in both cultures. However, child negative emotionality was a direct determinant of mindful parenting in the UK only. Overall, our study shed light on both individual and cultural differences in the mindful parenting process. Limitations of the current research and recommendations and implications for future mindful parenting research and practices were discussed.