Nurturing Bonds: Social Support as a Mediator in the Association Between Parenting Stress and the Mother–Child Relationship Among Turkish Mothers

This study investigated the relationships among parenting stress, social support, and mother–child relationships among Turkish mothers, focusing on the mediating role of social support. It explored how social support influences the link between maternal stress and mother–child interactions. The research involved 222 Turkish mothers aged 22–65 ( M = 37.05, SD = 5.66). The Process Macro was used to test the mediational model, and bootstrap analysis assessed the significance of the direct and indirect relationships between the variables. The results indicated that maternal stress significantly and negatively affected both social support and mother­–child relationships. Support from family and friends was found to significantly predict the quality of mother–child interactions. The study suggests that social support from family and friends can reduce mothers’ parenting stress and promote a healthy mother–child relationship. These findings contribute to family counseling literature and suggest that enhancing social support systems can improve parenting practices and family dynamics in Turkish families.