The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of psychological well-being on married immigrant women’s parenting efficacy.
The participants consisted of 145 married immigrant mothers who were the members of Multi-cultural Family Support Centers in Andong, Young-ju, Uiseung, and Munkyung cities in Gyeongsangbuk-do province. The collected data was analyzed by the descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis using a SPSS 21.0 package. The data for psychological well-being was collected by the questionnaire, the revised version of PWBS(Psychological well-being scale). Likewise, the modified version of PSOC(Parenting Sense of Competence Scale) questionnaire, which was used by Sin, Sook-Jae for factor analysis, was used to collect parenting efficiency data.
The main results are as follows.
First, the level language competence and education were significantly related to psychological well-being, suggesting that the level language competence as well as the level of education could be main factors for psychological well-being. Further, the numbers of children, monthly income of a household and experience of parent education were significantly related to parenting efficacy. It was shown that these variables were significant factors affecting the parenting efficacy of married immigrant women.
Second, psychological well-being was correlated with parenting efficacy of married immigrant women, demonstrating that the psychological well-being was the most effective variable for parenting efficacy of married immigrant women.
Third, self-acceptance, environmental master, and personal growth in the psychological well-being were significantly predicted the parenting efficacy.
The result of this study showed that the psychological well-being was significant variables for improving the parenting efficacy of married immigrant women. In particular, it was found that self-acceptance, environmental master, and personal growth in the psychological well-being fully predicted parenting efficacy.
These findings suggested that we should reconsider the importance of psychological well-being in the supporting program for parenting. In addition, personal growth, self-acceptance, and environmental mastery should be considered in developing prevention and intervention programs.