Mothers’ Reflective Functioning and Resilience of Children with Cancer: The Mediating Role of Maternal Empathy

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesized model of the causal relationship between mothers’ reflective functioning and resilience of children with cancer through mothers’ empathy. Method: The present descriptive and correlational study lay within the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework. For this purpose, 207 mothers of children aged 5 to 12 years with cancer who had referred to Mahak Hospital and Tehran Children’s Medical Center joined this study. Participants completed the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (2017), the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised Person Most Knowledgeable version (2018), and the Empathy Quotient Questionnaire (2004). The statistical procedures were run in SPSS21 and AMOS22. Results: The results showed that the hypothetical model has a good fit with the data. Based on the findings of this study, it is presumed that due to the positive impact of mothers’ reflective functioning on their psychological abilities and interpersonal relationships, strengthening this capacity can lead to improved resilience in children with cancer. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study, mothers’ empathy plays a mediating role in the relationship between mother’s reflective functioning and children’s resilience.