Original scientific paper
The Relation between Personality Traits, Family Functioning and Mothers' and Fathers' Psychological Symptoms
Sanja SMOJVER-AŽIĆ
; Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Rijeka
Tamara MARTINAC DORČIĆ
; Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Rijeka
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of
mothers' and fathers' psychological adjustment. Ninety
married couples with at least one child between 3 and 13
years of age participated in the study. The contribution of
family functioning, marital quality, parental stress and child
behavior problems on psychological symptoms of mothers
and fathers was examined after controlling the effects of
personality traits. Separate analyses of relations between
different aspects of psychological symptoms and parental
stress sources and child behavior problems were performed
for mothers and fathers. Personality traits explained the
psychological distress of mothers: mothers who were more
neurotic had more psychological symptoms. Family
functioning and marital quality contributed to the explanation
of psychological symptoms too, as well as parental stress
and child behavior problems, which were the only significant
predictor. Neuroticism predicted psychological symptoms in
fathers. Both family functioning and marital quality were also
significant predictors. Fathers who estimated lower marital
quality had more psychological symptoms. Parental variables
did not contribute significantly to the explanation of
psychological symptoms of fathers.
Keywords
mother; father; psychological symptoms; personality traits; family; parental stress; child behavior problems
Hrčak ID:
52202
URI
Publication date:
1.5.2010.
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