The mediating role of self-based mentalization in the relationship between parentification and separation individuation

This study investigates the mediating role of self-mentalization in the relationship between parentification and separation-individuation. Furthermore, another aim of this study is to explore the psychometric properties of the Filial Responsibility Scale (Evlat Sorumluluğu Ölçeği) for adapting it to the Turkish language. The sample consisted of 282 participants whose ages ranged from 18 to 78 years (Mage=40.7, SD= 14.6, 72% female, 28% male). Demographic information form, Filial Responsibility Scale, Parentification Inventory, Mentalization Scale, and Separation Individuation Inventory were filled respectively. In the first part of the study, factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure of the 22-item Filial Responsibility Scale (Evlat Sorumluluğu Ölçeği) that assesses instrumental parentification, emotional parentification, and perceived fairness of parentification. Psychometric properties including internal reliability, revealed that the Turkish version of the scale has sufficient psychometric properties for further use in Turkish studies. In the second part of the study, analyses of correlation and mediation indicated that self-mentalization has been shown to have a partial mediating role in the relationship between all subscales of parentification that assesses parent-focused parentification, sibling-focused parentification, perceived benefits of parentification, emotional parentification, instrumental parentification and perceived fairness of parentification, and total scores of separation-individuation. The results and further implications were discussed in the light of literature.