Abstract

RIBAS, Adriana F. Paes; RIBAS JUNIOR, Rodolfo de Castro  and  VALENTE, Andréa Araújo. Mothers' and fathers' emotional wellbeing and the exercise of the parental role: an empirical investigation. Rev. bras. crescimento desenvolv. hum. [online]. 2006, vol.16, n.3, pp. 28-38. ISSN 0104-1282.

The present investigation had 3 main objectives: 1) to evaluate emotional wellbeing, inferred as levels of time stress (TS) and depression symptoms (DS), in a group of mothers and fathers; 2) to investigate some dimensions of the exercise of the parental role, understood as key components of parenting schemes (for example, self-perception, establishment of positive interactions with the children); and 3) to investigate associations between indicators of parental emotional wellbeing and components of parenting schemes. A total of 51 couples, living in Rio de Janeiro, with different education levels, over 18 years of age, with at least one natural child aged less than 5 years, participated in the study. The mothers and fathers answered questionnaires that evaluated TS, DS, components of parenting schemes, social desirability, and sociodemographic data. The results, compatible with previous studies, indicated that an important proportion of parents in the study presented high levels of time stress and depression symptoms. Several significant associations (p <0.05) between measures of parental emotional wellbeing and dimensions of parenting schemes were identified. For example, significant correlations between TS and DS (r = 0,24); TS and self-perception of the parental role (r = -0,48); DS and self-perception of the parental role (r = -0,45); TS and the parents’ positive interaction with the children (r = -0,22) were identified. Among other aspects, the results can contribute to a better understanding of the associations between emotional wellbeing and parenting schemes and may provide support for future intervention projects with mothers and fathers.

Keywords : parental psychology; emotional wellbeing; mothering; fathering.

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