Predicting Children's Social Adaptation based on Defense Mechanisms and Problem-Oriented Strategies in Parents with the Mediation of Anxiety Sensitivity
Subject Areas : Journal of Excellence in counseling and psychotherapyrobabre mohammadi 1 , Afsaneh Sobhi 2
1 - 1. Master of Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran.
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran
Keywords: children's social adaptation, defense mechanism, problem-oriented strategies, anxiety sensitivity.,
Abstract :
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between social adaptation based on defense mechanisms and problem-oriented strategies in parents with the mediation of anxiety sensitivity in elementary school female students in Zanjan city.
Methodology: The research method was correlation. The statistical population was all primary school girls in two cities of Zanjan, 200 of whom were selected using the available method. To collect data, Dakhanchi's adjustment questionnaire (1998), Andrews et al.'s (1993) defense mechanism questionnaire, Lazarus and Folkman's (1985) coping with stressful situations questionnaire, and Floyd et al.'s (2005) anxiety sensitivity questionnaire were used. For data analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and path analysis were used using SPSS version 25 and AMOS23 software.
Findings: The results showed that parents' defense mechanisms have no significant effect on social adjustment, but problem-oriented strategies in anxiety-sensitive parents can predict children's social adjustment. Problem-oriented strategies in parents and parents' defense mechanism can also predict anxiety sensitivity (p<0.05). The results of indirect effects showed that anxiety sensitivity has a mediating role between problem-oriented strategies in parents and social adjustment (p<0.05). Also, anxiety sensitivity plays a mediating role between defense mechanisms and social adaptation. Parents' children have a mediating role (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Considering that the results showed that defense mechanisms and problem-oriented strategies in parents and anxiety sensitivity have a significant role in children's social adaptation, it is suggested that psychologists and school counselors and counseling centers in education take measures Plan therapy and education to increase social adaptation with emphasis on the mentioned variables.
Abedini, S. (2011). Examining the relationship between adjustment levels and adolescent personality traits. Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 4(2), 97-106. [Link]
Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical psychology review, 30(2), 217-237. [Link]
Antonioni, A., Raho, E. M., Sensi, M., Di Lorenzo, F., Fadiga, L., & Koch, G. (2024). A new perspective on positive symptoms: expression of damage or self-defence mechanism of the brain?. Neurological Sciences, 45(5), 2347-2351. [Link]
Barnes, G. M., Welte, J. W., Hoffman, J. H., & Dintcheff, B. A. (1999). Gambling and alcohol use among youth: Influences of demographic, socialization, and individual factors. Addictive behaviors, 24(6), 749-767. [Link]
Brechet, C., d'Audigier, L., & Audras-Torrent, L. (2022). The use of drawing as an emotion regulation technique with children. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 16(2), 221. [Link]
Deb, S., McGirr, K., Bhattacharya, B., & Sun, J. (2015). Role of home environment, parental care, parents’ personality and their relationship to adolescent mental health. [Link]
Gross J. J., & A., T. R. (2007). Emotion regulation: Conceptual foundations. In Gross J. J. (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation (Vol. 3-24). New York, NY: Guildford Press. [Link]
Hart, J. (2014). Toward an integrative theory of psychological defense. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9(1), 19-39. [Link]
Hosseini Kalaie, S. . S., & Asadi, M. (2020). The Effectiveness of successful parenting education to Mothers on Emotional, Educational and Social adjustment in adolescent girls. Counseling Culture and Psycotherapy, 11(43), 89-120. [Link]
House, H. P., Kochendorfer, L. B., Brumariu, L. E., & Kerns, K. A. (2023). Validating the Negative Emotion Regulation Inventory Measure of Emotion Regulation for Children in Preadolescence. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 43(2), 244-259. [Link]
Karimi Baghmolek, A. (2017). Predicting individual and social adaptation based on defense mechanisms in student teachers. Quarterly Journal of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, 4(2), 104-120. [Link]
Kim, S. G., Weissman, D. G., Sheridan, M. A., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2023). Child abuse and automatic emotion regulation in children and adolescents. Development and psychopathology, 35(1), 157-167. [Link]
Lindblom, J., Punamäki, R.-L., Flykt, M., Vänskä, M., Nummi, T., Sinkkonen, J., Tiitinen, A., & Tulppala, M. (2016). Early family relationships predict children’s emotion regulation and defense mechanisms. Sage Open, 6(4), 2158244016681393. [Link]
Liu, J., & Chen, S. (2023). Embedded Coexistence: Social Adaptation of Chinese Female White-Collar Workers in Japan. Sustainability, 15(2), 1294. [Link]
Melnyk, B. M. (2020). Reducing healthcare costs for mental health hospitalizations with the evidence-based COPE program for child and adolescent depression and anxiety: a cost analysis. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 34(2), 117-121. [Link]
Miranda, B., & Louzã, M. R. (2015). The physician’s quality of life: Relationship with ego defense mechanisms and object relations. Comprehensive psychiatry, 63, 22-29. [Link]
Norr, A. M., Allan, N. P., Reger, G. M., & Schmidt, N. B. (2018). Exploring the pathway from anxiety sensitivity intervention to suicide risk reduction: Chained mediation through anxiety and depressive symptoms. Journal of affective disorders, 231, 27-31. [Link]
Ntre, V., Papanikolaou, Κ., Amanaki, E., Triantafyllou, K., Tzavara, C., & Kolaitis, G. (2022). Coping Strategies in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and their relation to maternal stress and depression. Psychiatriki, 33(3), 210e218. [Link]
Richey, J. A., Schmidt, N. B., Hofmann, S. G., & Timpano, K. R. (2010). Temporal and structural dynamics of anxiety sensitivity in predicting fearful responding to a 35% CO2 challenge. Journal of anxiety disorders, 24(4), 423-432. [Link]
Ruan, Q. N., Chen, Y. H., & Yan, W. J. (2023). A network analysis of difficulties in emotion regulation, anxiety, and depression for adolescents in clinical settings. Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 17(1), 29. [Link]
SafarianTousi, M. Reza., Razazzadeh, M., & Haji Arbabi, F. (2021). The relationship between perceived psychological pressure and parental child abuse with social adjustment and stubbornness-confrontational disobedience in Mashhad elementary school boys. New ideas of psychology quarterly. (13), 1-9. [Link]
Thompson, R. A. (2014). Stress and child development. The future of children, 41-59. [Link]
Vachet, J. (2022). Coping Strategies and Defence Mechanisms. In Fantasy, Neoliberalism and Precariousness: Coping Strategies in the Cultural Industries (pp. 67-91). Emerald Publishing Limited. [Link]
Viana, A. G., Trent, E. S., Raines, E. M., Woodward, E. C., Storch, E. A., & Zvolensky, M. J. (2021). Childhood anxiety sensitivity, fear downregulation, and anxious behaviors: Vagal suppression as a moderator of risk. Emotion, 21(2), 430. [Link]
Witcraft, S. M., Perry, M. M., Viana, A. G., Tull, M. T., & Dixon, L. J. (2024). A Preliminary Investigation of Prenatal Anxiety Sensitivity and Postpartum Distress. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 69(1), 58-63. [Link]
Yosep, I., Mardhiyah, A., & Hikmat, R. (2022). Adolescent coping strategies with parental divorce: A narrative review. Science Midwifery, 10(2), 1079-1085. [Link]
Zhu, J., Xiao, B., Hipson, W., Yan, C., Coplan, R. J., & Li, Y. (2021). Social avoidance and social adjustment: The moderating role of emotion regulation and emotion lability/negativity among Chinese preschool children. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 618670. [Link]