Helplessness, Psychological Distress, and Perceived Social Support in Mothers with Children in Early Childhood

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the levels of helplessness, psychological distress, and perceived social support experienced by mothers with children aged 1-6 years in childcare. Methods: This descriptive study included 178 mothers with children aged 1-6 years. Personal Information Form prepared by the researchers, Caregiving Helplessness Questionnaire (CHQ), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10-PDS) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were used to collect research data. Obtained data were determined as a result of Independent t test, One-Way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The average scores of mothers from the CHQ and K10-PDS, MSPSS scales were 39.08±8.88, 21.97±9.29, and 61.71±16.51, respectively. As a result of the correlation analysis, it was determined that there was a statistically significant negative relationship between CHQ and perceived social support level in mothers, and a statistically significant positive relationship between CHQ and K10-PDS. Conclusions: The research results showed that as the perceived social support level of mothers increased, their psychological distress and helplessness decreased. These findings indicate that health professionals should target the mental health of mothers and increase their confidence and experience in parenting by providing education and counseling.