Background and Purpose: The presence of mental retarded children in the family will impose pressure on parents and ultimately limit the progress of the whole family.
The purpose of this study was to determine the mediating role of cognitive-emotional regulation strategies in the relationship between social support and paternal stress with parenting styles in mothers of mental retarded children.
Method: The research method was correlation. The statistical population was consisted of all mothers with intellectually disabled children of Tehran and Karaj academic year of 2-13-2014 that a sample of 130 people was selected through convenience sampling. The cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire of Garnefski (2007), multidimensional scale of perceived social support questionnaires of Zimet et al (1988), parental stress scale of Beri and Jones (1995) and parenting styles of Baumrind (1973) were used to collect data. Data were analyzed by path analysis.
Results: The results showed that only the effect of social support on parenting styles was not significant (1/21), while parental stress and emotional cognitive regulation strategies have a significant effect on parenting styles(p<0/05). Social support and parental stress also have a significant effect on cognitive emotion regulation strategies (p<0/05). Finally, the mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between social support and paternal stress with parenting styles was accepted.
Conclusion: Emotional cognitive regulation strategies is a central component in organizing adapted behavior and preventing maladaptive behaviors that can undermine the negative aspects of parental stress affecting parenting styles and on the other, modulate the effects of social support.