Perceived parental rearing styles and responsibility attitude as predictors of depression and generalized anxiety disorder

Depression and generalized anxiety are common mental disorders that negatively affect the cognitive, behavioral, emotional function of people and quality of life. The present study aims to investigate which vulnerability factors are related to depression and generalized anxiety disorder with participants ages of 18-45 in a non-clinical sample (n=495). In this study, the role of perceived parental rearing behaviors and responsibility attitudes in predicting depression and generalized anxiety disorder is investigated. Furthermore, the mediator role of responsibility attitudes in the relationship between perceived parental rearing behaviors and depression and generalized anxiety disorder was evaluated. The results of the regression analysis showed that perceived mother overprotection significantly predicted generalized anxiety disorder and responsibility attitudes; father rejection predicted depression. Responsibility attitudes significantly predicted both depression and generalized anxiety disorder. Furthermore, the results of the mediator analysis showed that responsibility attitudes mediated the relationship between mother overprotective and generalized anxiety disorder. As a result, responsibility attitude may have a role in the cognitive process of different psychopathologies and relationship with perceived parental rearing behaviors. The findings of the study were discussed in the light of the relevant literature, limitation of the study, and suggestion for future studies were presented.