The Moderated Mediating Effect of Parental Calling on the Relationship between Intolerance of Uncertainty, Parenting Anxiety, and Parental Burnout in Mothers of Children in Early Childhood (Ages Three to Five)

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the moderated mediating effects of parental calling on the relationship between mothers' intolerance of uncertainty, parenting anxiety, and parental burnout during the preschool years of children aged three to five.Methods: The sample consisted of 300 participants recruited through an online survey. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27 and Macro version 4.1 (Models 4 and 14).Results: The findings of the study are as follows: First, parenting anxiety was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between mothers' intolerance of uncertainty and parental burnout. Second, a significant moderated mediating effect of parental calling was observed in the pathway from intolerance of uncertainty to burnout via parenting anxiety.Conclusion: These study findings indicate that parental calling plays a crucial role in situations where elevated parenting anxiety resulting from mothers' low tolerance for uncertainty contributes to parental burnout. Therefore, focusing on enhancing parental calling may help mitigate parental burnout. Additionally, the role of parenting anxiety in the impact of intolerance of uncertainty on parental burnout should be emphasized. Furthermore, these findings suggest the need for developing parenting programs and counseling models based on parental calling, which are expected to serve as foundational data for parental education and counseling practices aimed at reducing parenting anxiety.