The Correlation between Parenting Behaviors, Object Relation and Self-Esteem in Depressive Patient

Choi, Ji Ae; Choi, Young Min; Lee, Jung Ho; Lee, Dong Woo

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the Object Relations, Parenting Behaviors, and Self-esteem with Depression.
METHODS
This study included 60 Depression patients and 90 healthy individuals. Parent Behavior Inventory (PBI), Bell Object Relation Inventory (BORI), Self-Esteem Scale (SES) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used for measuring parenting behaviors, object relations, self-esteem and severity of depression in orderly.
RESULTS
Depression was negatively associated with self-esteem, and positively associated with four subscale of Object relation. Also, depression was positively associated with maternal intrusiveness, parental negligence and negatively associated with maternal affection. The most potent variable to explain depression was self-esteem, and the second was insecure attachment. Maternal affection was the most explainable variable of self-esteem, and the most potent variable of insecure attachment was maternal intrusiveness. Correlation analysis with insecure attachment and self-esteem as control variable individually, there was weak correlation among variables.
CONCLUSION
This study shows object relation, parent behavior, and self-esteem are related with depressive symptoms. Object relation (especially, insecure attachment) and self-esteem is more important and proximal cause in depression than parental behavior. Result of the present study indicated that inadequate parental behavior in childhood foster insecure object relation and low self-esteem, then they contribute to depression through their interaction.