Conroy, Kathleen L. (2012) Hope as a Mediator in Parental Bonding, Need for Approval, and Depression. Coursework Masters thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that associations exist between parental bonding, need for approval, hope, and depression. However, little research has specifically examined depression, parental bonding, need for approval, and hope in the same study. Accordingly, the present study examined the role hope plays in mediating the effect that parental bonding and need for approval has on depression. Hope was measured using the Hope Scale (HS), parental bonding using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), need for approval using a subscale of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-NA), and depression utilising the subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale – 21 item short version (DASS-21-D). Participants in the study were a convenience sample of 255 adults (Male = 47; Female = 208), aged between 17 and 75. The main predictions were: (a) mother and father care would be negatively associated with depression, whilst mother and father overprotection would be positively associated with depression; (b) need for approval would be negatively associated with mother and father care and positively associated with mother and father overprotection and depression; (c) mother and father care would be positively associated with high hope, whilst high hope would be negatively associated with mother and father overprotection, need for approval, and depression; (d) mother and father care and overprotection, need for approval, and hope would significantly contribute to the prediction of depression; (e) parental care and overprotection and need for approval would have a direct effect on depression; and (f) the influence of the parental bonding variables (i.e. mother and father care and overprotection) and need for approval on depression would be mediated through hope. Correlational analyses revealed that mother care and hope had negative relationships with depression, whilst mother overprotection and need for approval were positively related to depression. Mother and father overprotection and need for approval were found to be negatively associated with hope. A hierarchical regression indicated that only mother care, need for approval, and hope made significant and unique contributions to the prediction of depression. A path analysis revealed support for hope partially mediating the associations between mother care and depression and need for approval and depression. Results of the current research provide evidence that psycho-education programs designed at teaching parents (particularly mothers) that providing their children with increased levels of warmth and affection assists in the development of hopeful thinking in their children, which in turn may lead to such children experiencing less depression in adulthood. However, a deficit of positive interactions with their children may decrease children’s sense of worthiness and acceptance, resulting in such children being more reliant on others approval. This may therefore lower children’s sense of hope and subsequently increase children’s risk of developing depression in the future. Such psycho-education can also extend to adults and children by assisting them in understanding how their upbringing may have impacted upon their sense of hope and consequently levels of depression. The results of the present study also support the implementation of hope theory based psychotherapy interventions with both child and adult cohorts, which may assist in increasing their hopeful thinking and accordingly result in protection against or reduction of such individuals developing depression.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Coursework Masters) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Nola Passmore |
| Qualification: | Masters of Psychology (Clinical) |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Sep 2025 23:49 |
| Last Modified: | 29 Sep 2025 23:49 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | parental bonding ; need for approval ; depression ; hope scale ; parental overprotection ; affection ; worthiness |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52223 |
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