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Department of Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. , Spnaghash@ut.ac.ir
Abstract: (44 Views)
Background: Maternal perfectionism, anxiety, and the quality of the mother–child relationship are recognized as key factors contributing to the development and maintenance of children's psychological difficulties. Despite the importance of these factors, relatively few studies have investigated the effectiveness of family-based interventions in reducing maternal perfectionism and anxiety and improving parent–child relationship outcomes.
Aims: The aim of the presemt study was to investigate the effectiveness of a family-centered psychological intervention program based on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) integrated with a compassion-focused approach on perfectionism, anxiety, and mother-child relationship quality in mothers.
Methods: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest format and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all mothers of children aged 6 to 12 years residing in Districts 4, 7, and 8 of Tehran in 2025. Among eligible mothers, 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants in each group) using a matching procedure. The experimental group received the compassion-integrated PCIT intervention in 10 individual sessions of 90 minutes each, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Hill Perfectionism Inventory (Hill et al., 2004), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger et al., 1970), and the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (Pianta, 1994). Data analysis was conducted using independent samples t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) through SPSS version 26.
Results: The results indicated that the compassion-integrated PCIT intervention was effective in reducing maternal perfectionism and anxiety and improving mother-child relationship quality (P<0.05). Specifically, significant reductions were observed in perfectionism scores (P<0.003), state anxiety (P<0.002), and trait anxiety (P<0.005) among mothers in the experimental group. Furthermore, the intervention significantly enhanced mother-child relationship quality (P<0.001), as reflected by increased intimacy and overall positive relationship scores, along with decreased levels of conflict and maladaptive dependency.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the family-centered psychological intervention program grounded in compassion-integrated PCIT can be considered an effective approach for reducing maternal perfectionism and anxiety and improving mother-child relationship quality. Therefore, psychologists, counselors, schools, and family mental health centers may utilize this intervention and its therapeutic strategies to promote healthier parent-child interactions and maternal psychological well-being.
Aims: The aim of the presemt study was to investigate the effectiveness of a family-centered psychological intervention program based on Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) integrated with a compassion-focused approach on perfectionism, anxiety, and mother-child relationship quality in mothers.
Methods: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest format and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all mothers of children aged 6 to 12 years residing in Districts 4, 7, and 8 of Tehran in 2025. Among eligible mothers, 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants in each group) using a matching procedure. The experimental group received the compassion-integrated PCIT intervention in 10 individual sessions of 90 minutes each, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Hill Perfectionism Inventory (Hill et al., 2004), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger et al., 1970), and the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (Pianta, 1994). Data analysis was conducted using independent samples t-test and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) through SPSS version 26.
Results: The results indicated that the compassion-integrated PCIT intervention was effective in reducing maternal perfectionism and anxiety and improving mother-child relationship quality (P<0.05). Specifically, significant reductions were observed in perfectionism scores (P<0.003), state anxiety (P<0.002), and trait anxiety (P<0.005) among mothers in the experimental group. Furthermore, the intervention significantly enhanced mother-child relationship quality (P<0.001), as reflected by increased intimacy and overall positive relationship scores, along with decreased levels of conflict and maladaptive dependency.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, the family-centered psychological intervention program grounded in compassion-integrated PCIT can be considered an effective approach for reducing maternal perfectionism and anxiety and improving mother-child relationship quality. Therefore, psychologists, counselors, schools, and family mental health centers may utilize this intervention and its therapeutic strategies to promote healthier parent-child interactions and maternal psychological well-being.
Article number: 2
Keywords: parent-child interaction, perfectionism, anxiety, mother-child relationship, family-centered intervention, compassion-focused approach.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/05/10 | Accepted: 2026/08/11 | Published: 2026/09/23
Received: 2026/05/10 | Accepted: 2026/08/11 | Published: 2026/09/23
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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)