Volume 15, Issue 3 (Summer 2026)
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Ethics code: IR.MALAYERU.REC.1399006
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Abdollahzadeh RafiRafi M, Yazdani A. Self-regulation as a mediator of the association between parental psychological flexibility and symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder: Implications for enhancing adolescent mental health interventions. aumj 2026; 15 (3) : 4
URL: http://aums.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-2013-en.html
URL: http://aums.abzums.ac.ir/article-1-2013-en.html
1- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Malayer, Malayer, Iran
2- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran ,a.yazdani@abzums.ac.ir
2- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran ,
Abstract: (27 Views)
Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the role of mothers’ psychological flexibility in children’s self-regulation and to examine whether self-regulation contributes to the reduction of oppositional defiant behaviors among high school students. Given the complex interplay between parental psychological characteristics, adolescents’ self-regulatory capacities, and behavioral difficulties, understanding the potential contribution of maternal psychological flexibility may provide valuable insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying oppositional and defiant behaviors during adolescence.
Methods: This correlational study was conducted among 436 mothers of high school students from three cities in Iran. Participants were selected using a cluster sampling method. Data were collected using three standardized instruments assessing psychological flexibility or resilience in parenting, adolescent self-efficacy, and resilience against psychological adversity. The collected data were analyzed to examine the relationships among maternal psychological flexibility, adolescents’ self-regulation, and oppositional defiant behaviors. All ethical principles governing research involving human participants were observed, and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Malayer University under ethics code IR.MALAYERU.REC.1399006.
Results: The findings demonstrated a positive and statistically significant association between maternal psychological flexibility and adolescents’ self-regulation. In addition, maternal psychological flexibility showed a significant negative association with oppositional defiant behaviors, indicating that greater psychological flexibility in mothers was associated with fewer oppositional and defiant symptoms among their children. Adolescents’ self-regulation was also found to have a significant negative association with oppositional defiant behaviors, suggesting that greater self-regulatory capacity was associated with lower levels of oppositional and defiant behavior. No statistically significant associations were observed between students’ age or gender and maternal psychological flexibility or oppositional defiant symptoms (p > 0.05). Similarly, other demographic characteristics, including maternal age and educational attainment, were not significantly associated with the principal study variables (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Although maternal psychological flexibility represents only one of the multiple factors contributing to the complex and multifaceted development of adolescents’ self-regulatory abilities, the findings suggest that it may play a meaningful role in reducing oppositional defiant behaviors through its association with enhanced self-regulation. These findings provide potentially valuable empirical evidence for understanding the interconnected relationships among parental psychological flexibility, adolescent self-regulation, and behavioral difficulties. The results may also contribute to the development of a theoretical framework for mental health professionals, particularly clinicians and practitioners involved in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of behavioral and emotional problems among children and adolescents.
Methods: This correlational study was conducted among 436 mothers of high school students from three cities in Iran. Participants were selected using a cluster sampling method. Data were collected using three standardized instruments assessing psychological flexibility or resilience in parenting, adolescent self-efficacy, and resilience against psychological adversity. The collected data were analyzed to examine the relationships among maternal psychological flexibility, adolescents’ self-regulation, and oppositional defiant behaviors. All ethical principles governing research involving human participants were observed, and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Malayer University under ethics code IR.MALAYERU.REC.1399006.
Results: The findings demonstrated a positive and statistically significant association between maternal psychological flexibility and adolescents’ self-regulation. In addition, maternal psychological flexibility showed a significant negative association with oppositional defiant behaviors, indicating that greater psychological flexibility in mothers was associated with fewer oppositional and defiant symptoms among their children. Adolescents’ self-regulation was also found to have a significant negative association with oppositional defiant behaviors, suggesting that greater self-regulatory capacity was associated with lower levels of oppositional and defiant behavior. No statistically significant associations were observed between students’ age or gender and maternal psychological flexibility or oppositional defiant symptoms (p > 0.05). Similarly, other demographic characteristics, including maternal age and educational attainment, were not significantly associated with the principal study variables (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Although maternal psychological flexibility represents only one of the multiple factors contributing to the complex and multifaceted development of adolescents’ self-regulatory abilities, the findings suggest that it may play a meaningful role in reducing oppositional defiant behaviors through its association with enhanced self-regulation. These findings provide potentially valuable empirical evidence for understanding the interconnected relationships among parental psychological flexibility, adolescent self-regulation, and behavioral difficulties. The results may also contribute to the development of a theoretical framework for mental health professionals, particularly clinicians and practitioners involved in the prevention, assessment, and treatment of behavioral and emotional problems among children and adolescents.
Article number: 4
Keywords: Psychological flexibility, Self-regulation, Oppositional defiant behavior, Adolescent behavior, Parenting
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/06/09 | Accepted: 2026/08/11 | Published: 2026/09/22
Received: 2026/06/09 | Accepted: 2026/08/11 | Published: 2026/09/22
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