Maternal Childhood Maltreatment and Quality of Child-Mother Relationship: Mediating Role of Meta-Parenting and Parenting Stress

Experiencing childhood maltreatment by mothers could have both short-term and long-term negative consequences for them and their children. The current study attempted to evaluate the mediating role of parenting stress and meta-parenting in the association between maternal childhood maltreatment and the quality of child-mother relationships. A total of 468 Iranian mothers of preschool children (five to six years old) were selected using a purposeful sampling method and were assessed in a cross-sectional study. A broad set of psychometric instruments such as childhood maltreatment, stress parenting, meta-parenting, and child-parent relationships were used. The mediating role of parenting stress was supported by the association between maternal childhood maltreatment and child-mother conflict (positively and significantly) and child-mother closeness (negatively and significantly). Furthermore, the mediating role of meta-parenting was supported for the association between maternal childhood maltreatment and child-mother closeness (positively and significantly) and child-mother dependency (negatively and significantly). It was concluded that the existence of maternal child maltreatment affects the quality of child-mother relationships through parenting stress and meta-parenting (both directly and indirectly). Consequently, it is recommended to focus on the mother’s childhood and the need to hold psychological sessions for them before her delivery to reduce the negative consequences of her childhood maltreatment. The findings highlighted the importance of meta-parenting and parenting stress in the relationships between mothers who have experienced childhood maltreatment and their children.