The Relationship between Attachment and Maternal Caregiving Quality with the Mediating Role of Emotional Flexibility

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between attachment and the quality of maternal caregiving with the mediation of emotional flexibility on mothers. The research method was descriptive and the statistical population was mothers with children aged 2 to 6 in Tehran in 2023. In this research, convenience sampling was used and the sample size was 324 participants. . To measure the studied variables, Maternal Caregiving Quality Scale (MCQS), Experience in Close Relationship-Relationship Structure (ECR-RS) and Emotional Flexibility Scale (EFS) were used. Evaluation of the proposed model was done using structural equation modeling by SPSS21 and AMOS22. The findings showed that the relationship between attachment and maternal caregiving quality was direct and significant (β=-0.366), the relationship between emotional flexibility and maternal caregiving quality was direct and significant (β=0.507) and also the relationship between attachment and emotional flexibility was direct and significant (β=-0.401) and emotional flexibility played a mediating role in the relationship between attachment and maternal caregiving quality (P<0.05). The results of this research can be used to design and implement trainings or interventions to improve the maternal caregiving quality and the mental health of mothers and children.