Parenting Stress Mediates the Relationship between Mothers' Perfectionism and Behavioral Problems in Iranian Pre-School Children

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of parenting stress in the link between mothers' perfectionism and behavioral problems in preschool children. Method: In this study, all mothers of preschool children aged four to six years old in Tehran were considered as the statistical population with a sample size of 289 participants (M= 33.39, SD= 4.51), who were selected via multistage cluster sampling method from nurseries of the east, west, south, north and center of Tehran. In order to collect data, all participants were asked to complete Achenbach Child Behavior Check list (CBCL), Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (TMPS) and Abidin Parenting Stress Index (PSI). Results: The results showed that there was no significant relationship between mothers' perfectionism and behavioral problems in preschool children. The results of path analysis indicated that parenting stress played a mediating role in the relationship between mothers’ perfectionism and children’s behavioral problems. Conclusions: Overall, the results of this study suggest that the relationship between mothers’ perfectionism and children’s behavioral problems is not a simple relationship and parenting stress may have a mediating role in this relationship.