Career and Organizational Counseling

Career and Organizational Counseling

The Relationship Between Work–Family Conflict and Parental Guilt: The Mediating Roles of Child Adjustment and Parental Self-Efficacy

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Authors
1 M.A. in Family Counselling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahwaz, Iran.
2 M.A. in School Counselling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahwaz, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Counselling, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
Abstract
Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between work–family conflict and parental guilt, with the mediating roles of child adjustment and parental self-efficacy among employed mothers. Method: This study employed a descriptive-correlational design using structural equation modeling. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all employed mothers with children aged 2 to 12 years working in government offices in Yasuj during the winter of 2025, and its size was estimated at 480 individuals. From this population, 235 participants were selected using convenience (voluntary) sampling. Data were collected using the Work–Family Conflict Scale (Rajabi et al., 2020), the Parental Guilt Scale (Haslam et al., 2020), the Child Adjustment Scale (Morawska et al., 2014), and the Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale (Domitrovich et al., 1996). Data were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation and structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS version 27 and AMOS version 28. Results: The findings indicated that all direct effects were significant. Furthermore, the mediating roles of child adjustment (β = 0/30) and parental self-efficacy (β = 0/26) in the relationship between work–family conflict and parental guilt were significant (p = 0/001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, supportive interventions focusing on managing work–family conflict, strengthening parental self-efficacy, and addressing children's needs and circumstances may help reduce parental guilt among employed mothers.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 August 2026