title: Associations between interparental relationships and experiences of parenting stress among mothers: the mediating role of perceived control.
abstract: The current study investigated the potential benefits of relationships between parents whose children were friends (closure relationships) within a sample of 404 mothers. Associations between closure and three domains of parenting stress were explored. Mothers' perceived control was considered as a potential mediator of closure-stress associations. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that higher mean levels of closure were associated with lower levels of parenting stress related to child problem behaviors. Perceived control mediated the association between closure and parenting stress. The benefits of cross-household parental relationships for mothers' psychological wellbeing are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina 27402-6170, USA. jkyakova@uncg.edu
authors.forename: Jill K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Walls
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology