Background: Breast cancer and chemotherapy impose substantial psychological burdens, which may be intensified by parenting responsibilities. Mothers with dependent children may face additional concerns regarding daily caregiving and their children’s well-being. This study examined the association between dependent-child status and maternal psychological challenges and coping-related cognitive responses among Iranian women with non-metastatic breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Methods: This cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted among 279 women with non-metastatic breast cancer receiving chemotherapy in Kerman, Iran. Participants were categorized as mothers without dependent children (n = 139) or mothers with at least one dependent child younger than 18 years (n = 140). Data were collected using a researcher-developed six-item questionnaire assessing maternal anxious preoccupation, maternal helplessness, and protective cognitive avoidance. Group differences were examined using independent-samples t-tests, Welch’s t-tests, and Pearson’s chi-square tests, as appropriate.

Results: The two groups did not differ significantly in sociodemographic or clinical characteristics. Compared with mothers without dependent children, mothers with dependent children reported significantly higher maternal anxious preoccupation (mean ± SD: 319.51 ± 66.79 vs. 287.51 ± 54.33; Welch’s t(266.69)=-4.39, p<.001; Cohen’s d=0.53) and maternal helplessness (65.94 ± 24.14 vs. 56.58 ± 17.33; Welch’s t(277.00)=-3.72, p<.001; Cohen’s d=0.45). Conversely, mothers without dependent children reported significantly higher protective cognitive avoidance than mothers with dependent children (32.37 ± 14.43 vs. 26.42 ± 18.10; Welch’s t(264.71)=3.03, p=.003; Cohen’s d=0.36).

Conclusion: Dependent-child status was associated with distinct maternal psychological challenges during chemotherapy. Mothers with dependent children reported greater anxious preoccupation and helplessness, whereas those without dependent children reported greater protective cognitive avoidance. Family-centered psycho-oncological assessment and support may be particularly important for mothers raising minor children.