The Relationships between Parenting and Mental Health of Brazilian Mothers

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze the relationship between mental health and parenting among mothers of children aged 3 to 11 years, based on the theoretical framework proposed by Jay Belsky's Model of Determinants of Parenting. This is a cross-sectional and quantitative study, which used correlation and comparison analyzes to test the hypotheses. From the initial sample of 259 participants, data were used from 247 Brazilian mothers who responded to the Positive Mental Health Scale, the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Parenting Dimensions Inventory and the Perceived Social Support Scale. There was a significant correlation between positive parenting and general mental health and between parenting and the dimensions of emotional and psychological well-being. When comparing groups, it was observed that mothers with better mental health have more positive parenting, more years of schooling and a higher social support score compared to mothers with less mental health. Thus, it was noticed that factors such as parental mental health, socioeconomic status, education and availability of social support appear as determinants of parenting, acting as protective factors and promoting the exercise of positive parenting practices.