摘要：The main purpose of this study was to examine direct and indirect effects of mothers' depression on preschoolers' externalizing problem behaviors. A total of 155 mothers with preschoolers aged 3 and 4 years (83 boys and 72 girls) living in Seoul participated in this study. Mothers completed questionnaires on mothers' depression, parenting behavior, and preschoolers' externalizing problem behaviors. Direct and indirect pathways from mothers' depression to preschoolers' externalizing problem behaviors were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). First, it was revealed that mothers' depression did not directly affect preschoolers' externalizing problem behaviors. Second, mothers' depression indirectly influenced preschoolers' externalizing problem behaviors through mothers' parenting behavior. Mothers who reported higher levels of depression showed less warmth/acceptance and more rejection/restriction towards their children, which led to higher levels of preschoolers' externalizing problem behaviors. These findings emphasize the importance of positive parenting by mothers in reducing preschoolers' problem behaviors.
关键词：mothers' depression;mothers' parenting behavior;preschoolers' externalizing problem behaviors
