Psychological Well-Being of Indian Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Roles of Self-Compassion, Psychological Inflexibility, and Parenting Stress

This study explored the associations among psychological well-being (PWB), self-compassion, psychological inflexibility (PI), and parenting stress (PS) in 242 urban Indian mothers of children 10 years old and younger in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regression analysis revealed that greater self-compassion (SC), less PS, and greater psychological flexibility were associated with psychological well-being among the participants. Findings from this study contribute to research on maternal mental health by showing that, even in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, SC, PI, and PS are related to the PWB of urban Indian mothers, thus highlighting a need for evolving gender-based policies and emphasizing specific interventions for this vulnerable population. Impact and Implications. Findings of the current study revealed that psychological well-being (PWB) of Indian mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic was negatively related to parenting stress and psychological inflexibility, and positively related to self-compassion (SC). These findings provide a rationale for developing and disseminating compassion-based interventions and suggest additional ways to advance United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender Equality.