Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences

Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences

The Causal Relationships among Family Functioning, Parental Support, and Children's Behavioral Disorders: The Mediating Role of Maternal Mental Health in Ahvaz, Iran

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Maryam Gilasi 1
Khodabakhsh Karami* 2
Saeed Bakhtiar pour 3
1 Education Department of Karun County
2 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Department of Public Health, School of Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
3 Department of Psychology, Azad Ahvaz University, Ahvaz, Iran
10.22118/jjhs.2025.554079.1024
Abstract
Background: This study investigates the mediating role of mothers’ mental health in the relationships among family functioning, parental social support, and children’s behavioral disorders in Ahvaz, Iran. Understanding how family and social dynamics interact with maternal psychological well-being is essential to improve child mental-health outcomes and guide family-centered interventions within the Iranian sociocultural context. 
Methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study recruited 216 mothers of fourth-to-sixth-grade elementary students in Ahvaz during the 2018–2019 academic year. Data were collected using validated instruments: the Rutter Children’s Behavior Questionnaire, the Family Assessment Device (FAD), the MOS Social Support Scale, and the SCL-25 to measure maternal mental health. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with AMOS-23 was performed to test direct and indirect effects, and mediation was assessed using Hayes’ bootstrap method (5,000 resamples). 
Results: Family functioning significantly predicted both maternal mental health (β = 0.306, p < 0.01) and children’s behavioral disorders (β = 0.232, p < 0.01). Parental social support was directly related to maternal mental health (β = 0.230, p < 0.01) but not to children’s behavioral disorders (β = 0.063, p > 0.05). Maternal mental health directly affected children’s behavioral disorders (β = 0.239, p < 0.01) and mediated the effects of both family functioning (β = 0.018, p < 0.01) and parental social support (β = –0.040, p < 0.01) on behavioral outcomes. The final structural model showed good fit (χ²/df = 2.97, RMSEA = 0.061, CFI = 0.913). 
Conclusion: Maternal mental health serves as a vital pathway linking family interactions and social support to children’s behavioral health. Improving family functioning and strengthening parental social networks can enhance mothers’ psychological resilience and reduce behavioral problems in children. These findings support culturally tailored family-centered mental health strategies and preventive policies in educational and public health settings across Iran. 
Keywords
Keywords: Mental health
Children behavior
Social support
Family function
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Jundishapur Journal of Health Sciences
Volume 17, Issue 4
Autumn 2025
Pages 38-48