The relationship between psychological well-being and the nature of parent-child relationships: A case study of forced migrant mothers of minors

Abstract

The relevance of this study is determined by the need to expand our understanding of the factors influencing the adaptation of forced migrants in families with underage children. The present research aims to analyze the impact of parent-child relationships — both those experienced in childhood with one’s own mother and those currently maintained with one’s children — on the level of psychological well-being among women experiencing forced migration. The study involved 30 women aged between 29 and 50 years (M = 41.3; SD = 11.34), all of whom were forced migrants from Donetsk Republic raising minor children. The methodology included two versions of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and a set of statements designed to assess attitudes toward the future. The findings revealed that the degree of warmth and acceptance received from the mother in childhood was not associated with the level of warmth and acceptance in relationships with one’s own children. However, a correlation was found between the negative aspects of the relationships with one’s mother and with one’s children, specifically in terms of hostility, neglect, and undifferentiated rejection. Furthermore, the positive aspect of the childhood relationship with the mother (warmth and acceptance) was positively associated with psychological well-being, while the negative aspect of the current relationship with one’s child (hostility) was negatively associated with it. The perception of the future among migrant women was also found to be related to both the childhood relationship with the mother and the current relationship with their child. The results suggest that maternal rejection experienced in childhood contributes to the development of a negative attitude toward one’s own child later in life. Both the childhood relationship with the mother and the present relationship with one’s child act as important factors in shaping the psychological well-being of women in forced migration and influence their perception of the future.