Investigation of the relationship between parentification, psychological symptoms and early maladaptive schemas by qualitative and quantitative methods

The main purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between the other-directedness schema domain, parentification, and psychological symptoms, and to research the possible positive meaning of parentification in Turkey. For this purpose, both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods were used in the present study. A total of 232 people participated in the quantitative phase of the research and 10 people participated in the qualitative phase. The results of the analysis presented that there is a relationship between parentification, other-directedness schema domain and psychological symptoms. However, parentification did not mediate the relationship between other-directedness and psychological symptoms. Thematic analysis method was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results of this analysis presented that there are several individual, familial, interpersonal and cultural factors that maintain and rationalize parentification experiences. These are conceptualized as (1) narcissistic gratification, (2) perceived gains, and (3) cultural mechanisms. The qualitative and quantitative results of the research supported and enriched each other. The findings of the present study drew attention to the importance of the parent-child relationship and the possible positive meanings of parentification in Turkey.