Abstract

This study examined the mediating effect of child-based self-worth on the effect of negative work–family experience on depression in working women with children. In addition, we attempted to determine whether this relationship is controlled by mentalization and to verify the controlled mediating effect of mentalization on the negative experience of multiple work–family roles in depression through child-based self-worth. We measured, 400 working women with children using online self-report questionnaires on the negative experiences of multiple work–family roles, child-based self-worth, mentalization, and depression scales. The analysis results are as follows. First, child-based self-worth had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between negative experiences of multiple work–family roles and depression. Second, the results indicated that mentalization showed significant moderating effects in the relationship between negative experiences of multiple work–family roles, depression, and child-based self-worth. Third, we verified that the controlled mediating effect of mentalization was not significant in the indirect path that affects depression through the negative experience of multiple work–family roles and child-based self-worth. Based on these results, the clinical implications of the mechanisms that affect depression in working women with children, limitations of the current research, and directions for future research are discussed.