The mediatior effect of maternal seperation anxiety on the relationship between maternal self efficacy and seperation anxiety levels of children

The main aim of this study is to examine the mediation effect of maternal seperation anxiety levels on the relationship between maternal self efficacy perceptions and the separation anxiety levels of their 60-72 month-old children. In addition, it is also researched whether the participants' self-efficacy perceptions and separation anxiety levels and their children's separation anxiety levels differed due to various sociodemographic variables. In this context, the study consisted of 204 mothers of 60-72 month-old children who attend preschool. These mothers were asked to fill Sociodemographic Form, Revised Berkeley Parent Self-Efficacy Scale, Separation Anxiety Rating Scale (Parent Form) and Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire scales. Data analysis was performed with IBM SPSS version 22.00. Simple regression and linear hierarchical regression analyzes were used to analyze the main hypotheses of the research. As a result of the analyzes, firstly a negative relationship was found between the maternal self-efficacy level and the children's separation anxiety (β =-200, p<0,01). Secondly, a negative relationship was found between the maternal self-efficacy level and the maternal separation anxiety (β =,263, P<0,01). Thirdly, a positive relationship was found between the maternal separation anxiety and the children's separation anxiety (β = 312, p<0,01). Lastly, it was found that maternal seperation anxiety has a full mediator effect on the relation between maternal self-efficacy perceptions and their children's seperation anxiety levels. As a result, this research showed that maternal seperation anxiety levels has a mediator effect on the relation between maternal self-efficacy level and theier children's seperation anxiety level. These finding suggest that, preventive interventions for being able to recognize and dealing with anxiety would be functional for the mothers whose children begin or attend a preschool.