Maternal depressive symptoms and child internalizing problems: The mediation of emotion socialization

Objective This study examined the mediation of mothers' ratings of their maternal emotion socialization practices in the relation between mothers' depressive symptoms and children's internalizing problems in a Brazilian community sample. Background Maternal depression and maternal emotion socialization reactions contribute to children's internalizing problems, but the mechanisms through which these variables interact remain unclear. Method Participants were 153 mothers of children between 3 and 8 years old. The Coping with Children's Negative Emotions Scale (CCNES) evaluated mothers' ratings of their emotion socialization practices, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) assessed children's internalizing behaviors, and the Beck Depression Inventory I (BDI-I) measured maternal depressive symptoms. Results Maternal ratings of non-supportive emotion socialization reactions partially mediated the relation between maternal depressive symptoms and children's internalizing problems. There were no effects of maternal depressive symptoms on maternal supportive emotion socialization reactions and child internalizing problems. Conclusion Early psychosocial interventions that reduce non-supportive reactions to children's emotions may be an important way of assisting children in understanding and managing their negative emotions.