Introduction: Studies have revealed that maternal depression and anxiety play an important role in children internalizing disorders (ID). This study is aimed to find the relationship between maternal depression and anxiety with ID in adolescent girls.
Method: 108 normal girl students, ranging from 11 to 16 years old (13.26 ± 0.92) from Tabriz were participated in this descriptive-analytical study. Their mothers answered to Child Symptoms Inventory (csi-4) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-42). Multiple linear regression, independent samples t-test, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used for analysis of causal relationship between maternal depression and anxiety with internalizing disorders in adolescent girls.
Results: Maternal depression and anxiety were strong predictors of ID in adolescent girls. Motherâs anxiety (β= 0/243) was stronger than motherâs depression in prediction of ID. SEM showed that there is causal relationship between maternal depression with ID (R= 0/49), and between maternal anxiety with ID (R=0/53).
Conclusion: Maternal depression and anxiety can cause ID in adolescent girls. These results have implication both in prevention and treatment of ID in adolescent girls.
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