Parental Internalizing Symptoms and Parenting Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Social Support

“It takes a village to raise a child”. Social support is vital to parents in carrying out child-rearing duties, which is an additional source of stress for parents. Parents who exhibit higher levels of internalizing symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress) are more likely to engage in negative parenting behaviors. These behaviors can, in turn, negatively impact child development. Therefore, it is essential to investigate whether greater social support can buffer or attenuate the relationship between parental internalizing symptoms and negative parenting practices. Understanding this potential moderating effect is particularly important given the central role of parenting in shaping children’s developmental outcomes. Data will be collected online through Prolific, using a correlational design. In contrast to past studies, which sampled only married parents, this study will sample any parents of a child aged four to six, regardless of marital status. Hypothesis 1 states that there will be a positive correlation between parental internalizing symptoms and negative parenting behaviors. Hypothesis 2 states that social support will moderate this association, such that this link should be weaker among those with higher perceived social support than those with lower perceived social support. From a research standpoint, this study is an essential replication of previous research on similar constructs with modifications to facilitate effect detection and improve generalizability to the current parent population. From a clinical standpoint, mental health professionals can apply these results to strengthen the social network of clients who are parents, thereby ensuring healthy fulfillment of parental responsibilities and reducing risks of child maltreatment.