The reliability of Malay version of parenting stress index-short form (PSI-SF) among caregivers of individuals with learning disabilities

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Care demands faced by parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) can cause significant stress to them. The parenting stress index-short form (PSI-SF) questionnaire is a widely used instrument to measure parental stress. Cross-cultural translation of PSI-SF takes place to cater the different population around the world. Recently, a cross-cultural translation was implemented in the Malay language. The Malay version of the PSI-SF was developed and tested for psychometric properties among caregivers of individual with LD. Aim The main aim of this study was to examine the reliability and internal consistency of the Malay version of PSI-SF. Material and methods PSI-SF in English version was translated into Malay language. Back translation, comparison and modification were executed to obtain PSI-SF in Malay version. A total of 30 caregivers who handle individuals with LD were surveyed to evaluate the reliability of PSI-SF in the Malay version. Results and discussion The reliability of PSI-SF in the Malay version was good with Cronbach's α = 0.944. The internal consistency on subscale of PSI-SF such as parental distress, parent–child dysfunction and difficult child also scored a high internal consistency with value 0.90, 0.82, and 0.87 respectively. Conclusions The Malay version of the PSI-SF is a reliable questionnaire to evaluate the level of stress among the caregivers of children with LD.