Perceived social supports and the relationship between self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, and stress for mothers enrolled in psychology doctoral programs

Mothers who pursue graduate degrees face unique challenges to academic achievement and are associated with elevated anxiety, depression, and stress. Mothers balance academic studies, research commitments, and parental duties while competing with peers without children. Those with greater social support manifest lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. The purpose of this mixed method study was to explore if, and to what degree, social supports impact self-efficacy, anxiety, depression, and stress for mothers who are graduate students in the field of psychology in an APA (2023) accredited doctoral program. Self-Determination Theory and Self-Efficacy Theory serve as the theoretical frameworks for addressing research questions related to emotions and motivation. The choice of a mixed methods research design combines the use of inferential statistics to identify significant relationships, combined with richly textured descriptions of mothers’ subjective experience as graduate students. A purposive sample of at 52 female doctoral students, ages 18+, enrolled in clinical, counseling and school psychology programs who are also mothers participated. All of 52 participants completed a Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and 13 participated in semi-structured interviews. Mean participant age was 34.8 (SD= 5.9) and the mean number of children was 1.8 (SD=0.9). Quantitative analyses yielded significant relationships. Perceived support from family was a significant predictor of lower anxiety (p = .041), less depression (p = .041), and perceived support from a significant other was associated with lowered stress level (p <.000). After controlling for maternal age, household income, and number of children, social support from significant others was a predictor of reduced depression (p = .022). After controlling for maternal age, household income, and number of children, social support from significant others was a predictor of lower anxiety (p = .041), reduced depression (p = .022), and reduced stress (p = .010). Self-efficacy held no significant relationship to anxiety, depression, or stress. In terms of participants’ experience, mothers felt treated the same as other students despite having different circumstances. Social support among graduate student mothers can provide role models and additional resources too with difficulties and stressful events in unity that comes with motherhood. Additional research is needed to identify resources to meet the specific needs of graduate school mothers with children.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

School Psychology

Grantor

Texas Woman's University

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Vidovic, Katarina

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Johnson, Wendi L.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Rosen, Lisa
• Banks, Courtney

• Graduate students
• Self-efficacy
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Stress
• Academia
• Mothers

Language dc:language.iso

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/11274/16894

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:twu-ir.tdl.org:11274/16894