Korean American Parental Depressive Symptoms and Children's Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Parental Acceptance–Rejection

This study explored the mediating role of parental acceptance–rejection in the relationship between parental depressive symptoms and children's mental health. Self-report data were gathered from 95 mothers and 91 fathers of children (ages 5–10 years) in Korean American families. For mothers and fathers, the relationship between parental depressive symptoms and child psychosocial problems was mediated by parenting behaviors, with parental rejection being a much stronger mediator than parental acceptance. For fathers, the relationship between fathers' depressive symptoms and child social competence was mediated by parenting, with fathers' parental rejection being a slightly stronger mediator than fathers' parental acceptance.