Parental Stress Scale Research Articles

Parenting stress and associated factors in healthcare workers after the second wave of COVID-19 in India: a two-center cross-sectional study.

High parenting stress (PS) in members of the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic was exacerbated by work-, family-, and child-related factors. However, the negative effects of PS on the mental health and work participation of healthcare workers (HCWs) have received limited attention. This study aimed to examine the proportion of severe PS among HCWs and identify its contributory factors. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in two COVID-19-care hospitals attached to medical colleges in India between November 1 and December 24, 2021, following the delta variant-driven second wave of COVID-19. The study recruited 662 HCW parent and child dyads (aged 1.5-18 years) and assessed workplace, family, and child-related characteristics. The Parenting Stress Scale (PSS) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used to identify severe PS and child behavioral issues, respectively. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyzes were used to identify the significant and independent risk factors associated with severe PS, respectively. Equal proportions of medical and paramedical HCWs completed the survey [mean age: 36.96 ± 5.89; female: 466 (70%)]. The median PSS score of HCWs was 33 [interquartile range (IQR): 28-39], and 23% (155/662) of the HCW parents experienced severe PS. The independent predictors of severe PS included the female sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.31; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.74-6.29], HCWs with >15-day postings in COVID-19 care (aOR: 3.74; 95% CI: 1.53-9.16), having children with behavioral issues (aOR: 3.49; 95% CI: 1.29-9.48), HCWs at the Dehradun center (aOR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.24-4.10), having an HCW spouse simultaneously working in COVID-19 care (aOR: 1.88; 95% CI: 1.01-3.49), and HCWs with joint families (aOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.17-3.18). Overall, 23% of the cohort of HCWs continued to experience severe PS after the second COVID-19 wave driven by the delta variant in India. Routine screening of HCWs for PS using the PSS or similar measures, anticipatory guidance for parenting, and targeting at-risk HCWs with appropriate supportive measures may help reduce the incidence of severe PS and optimize the participation of HCWs in the fight against current and future pandemic-like situations.

A Study on Stress Level, Happiness, Challenges, and Emotional Bonds of Parents having Children with Disabilities Availing Services at NIEPMD, Chennai

Being a parent is normally a joyous occasion and creating emotional bond between parents and their children is special, but in certain situations, lives of parents' are plagued with challenges and are concerned about their ability to maintain their child's physical, emotional, or economic well-being. It is very important to understand as how it is like to be a parent, because this helps to enhance the wellbeing of both parents and their children, especially if the child born is having disabilities. The study here consisting of equal distribution of male and female (N =100, Male = 50 and female = 50) coming to NIEPMD for rehabilitation services were taken as samples to find out stress level of parents of children having disabilities based on gender, based on age of the parent, based on the educational qualification of the parent, based the diagnosis of the children having disabilities. The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaire developed by Berry & Jones (1995) is a standardized scale and was used to assess parental stress. The researchers obtained due permission to use the scale from the author. The findings of the study revealed that 63% of the parents are having high level of stress in particular female parent are experiencing high level of stress (33%). Findings based on age shows that 35% of parents aged between 31-40 are having high level of stress, based on educational qualification of the parent 27% of the parents who completed under graduation are having high level of stress and based on the diagnosis of the children 25% of the parents having children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder are having high level of stress. The result implicated that parents having children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are having high level of stress. Understanding these fundamental results and trends allows practitioners and researchers to develop customized interventions and support methods to promote positive parenting experiences and improve the well-being of parents and children.

Initial psychometric properties of the Parental Stress Scale examined using a sample of Russian mothers.

Parental stress is defined as a personal response to stressors associated with being a parent. In recent studies, parental stress has been viewed as a component of normative parenting. The purpose of this study was to collect initial evidence of the construct validity and reliability of the Russian version of the 18-item Parental Stress Scale (PSS) using a sample of mothers of Russian primary school students. The results are the first wave of a longitudinal study. Mothers (n = 900) of fourth-grade students participated in the study and filled out an online survey. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the PSS on the Russian mothers indicated two factors: parental stress and parental satisfaction, with good estimates of reliability. The PERMA-Profiler questionnaire was used to examine the convergent and divergent validity of the PSS. The results revealed significant correlations between parental stress and satisfaction and different aspects of well-being among the respondents. The initial investigation of this Russian adaptation of the PSS provides evidence of its reliability and validity. Despite the limitations and the need for further research, this version of the PSS can be recommended for use in studies on modern parenting as well as in psychological support, education, and development of programs promoting positive parent-child relationships by targeting parental needs.

Reducing parenting stress among Muslim mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic through spiritual mindfulness training

An imbalance between nurturing expectations and available resources during the COVID-19 pandemic increases the risk of parental stress. This study aimed to reduce parental stress through spiritual mindfulness training among Indonesian Muslim mothers. This study applied the embedded experimental model, one part of the mixed method design, where qualitative data is used to clarify the results of the experimental data. The experimental design used was the pretest-posttest control group design. Twenty individuals were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The Parental Stress Scale was used to assess parental stress. The Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare parental stress levels before and after spiritual mindfulness training. The hypothesis test results show that spiritual mindfulness training effectively reduces parenting stress for Indonesian Muslim mothers. Observation data during the training process and analysis of the assignment sheet found that the two individuals actively participating in the training process and frequently filling out the assignment sheets reduced parental stress levels more than their more passive counterparts. Spiritual mindfulness training successfully decreases the parental stress of Muslim mothers, and it is strongly suggested that mothers practice training regularly to considerably control their stress.

Determination of Stress and Anxiety Levels of Parents of Infants Staying in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: Anxiety and stress in parents’ lives during their babies' NICU stays can have a negative impact on all family members. This study aimed to measure the stress and anxiety levels of parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit receiving oxygen support.
 Methods: This study was conducted based on cross-sectional design with 123 parents of infants between 1 August 2020 and 01 May 2021. Data was gathered using the "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)", "Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS: NICU)", and "Parent Information Form and Infant Information Form".
 Results: The STAI scores of the parents were considered "moderately anxious" and the parents were "moderately stressed" based on the overall mean scores on the PSS: NICU and the mean scores on the subscales of the scale. It was found that parents’ number of children, employment, infant gender, type of delivery, intensive care environment characteristics, parents' communication with health personnel, and health condition all influenced their scores on the STAI and PSS: NICU subscales.
 Conclusion: Providing a holistic and family-centred approach to parents, the closest relatives of their infants who will create future generations as well as educational and counselling roles played by nurses and reducing stress and anxiety experienced by parents, will have a positive impact on neonatal health.

Development and validation of a parental competence questionnaire in the paediatric hospital emergency setting (ECP-U)

ObjectiveTo develop and validate a parental competence questionnaire for parents of children seeking care in hospital emergency departments. MethodsAn instrumental study of the development of an assessment questionnaire was carried out in three phases: 1) review of relevant measures and item generation, 2) content validity evaluation, 3) psychometric evaluation. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine the factorial structure. Internal consistency was evaluated using ordinal alpha. Hypothesis testing was determined between the resulting factors, the Parental Stress Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. ResultsThe participants were 270 parents of children aged 0–14 years old from a referral hospital in Valencia (Spain). An 18-item questionnaire was developed, comprising five factors that explain 53.0% of the variance: 1) “emotional management and expression”, 2) “passive social support”, 3) “parental agency”, 4) “basic needs and care” and 5) “active social support”. The internal consistency for the different factors was modest (>0.70). A negative correlation between the Parental Stress Scale and the parental competence questionnaire was found for most of the factors. ConclusionsThis questionnaire on parental competence in the hospital emergency department (ECP-U) is a useful and simple self-report instrument for assessing the parental competence of parents with children in the emergency department. Practical implicationsThe resulting questionnaire is of practical value to both healthcare professionals and researchers in this field. It can be administered quickly in clinical practice and used to identify parents' levels of parental competence and refer those with difficulties to appropriate support services.

A Pilot Study of Family-Integrated Care (FICare) in Critically Ill Preterm and Term Infants in the NICU: FICare Plus.

Family-integrated care (FICare) is associated with improved developmental outcomes and decreased parental mental health risks in stable preterm infants. However, less is known about its application in critically ill infants who are at greater risk for adverse outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and feasibility of implementation of an augmented FICare program, FICare Plus, in critically ill infants in the first few weeks of life. Resources were specifically developed for staff and parents to support earlier parental engagement in infant care. Infant health outcomes and standardized measures of parental stress, anxiety and parenting self-efficacy were also collected using standardized questionnaires: State -Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Parental Stressor Scale: NICU (PSS: NICU), Perceived Parenting Self-Efficacy Tool and Family Centered Care Survey. The t-test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare continuous variables, while the Chi-square or Fisher exact test were used for categorical variables, respectively. In this prospective cohort study, 41 critically ill infants were enrolled: 17 in standard care (SC) and 24 in the FICare Plus group. The tools and procedures developed for FICare Plus successfully supported greater engagement in the care of their infants with no increase in adverse events and no increase in parental stress. Parents in the FICare Plus cohort felt confident to participate in their infant's care. The staff also found this model of care acceptable and well adopted. Preliminary measures of infant efficacy were similar in both groups. Total anxiety scores were high among all parents at enrollment (87 (67-94) vs. 70.5 (66-86); p-value 0.22). However, the scores prior to discharge were lower in FICare Plus group (78 (71-90) vs. 63 (52-74.5); p-value 0.02). This pilot study showed that it is feasible and safe to implement family-integrated care in critically ill infants.

The relationship between parental stress and psychological adjustment of the children: The role of parental psychological flexibility as a mediator

There is growing interest in parental psychological flexibility, understood as parents' ability to enjoy an optimal relationship with their children by accepting their negative emotions and thoughts in the present moment, while remaining child-conscious, in value-based parenting. Parenting can sometimes be stressful, especially when faced with the varied and changing challenges of parenthood. Parental stress, in turn, has been related to high levels of psychological inflexibility. So, this study aimed to analyze the relationship of parental psychological flexibility with parental stress and its impact on children's psychological adjustment. The sample consisted of 909 families with children aged 3–18 years who answered the following questionnaires: The Parental Acceptance Questionnaire (6-PAQ), which measures psychological flexibility, the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), and the Strenght and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which studies the general psychological state of children and adolescents by screening for emotional and behavioral difficulties. These variables were analyzed by difference analysis according to the level of psychological flexibility, regression analysis, and mediation analysis. The group of parents who scored highest on psychological inflexibility scored high on parental stress and the child psychological adjustment scales, except for the prosocial behavior subscale. The results show that parental psychological inflexibility is related to higher levels of parental stress, and in turn, has an impact on greater psychological maladjustment in children. These relationships are analyzed from their clinical and educational implications as factors and objectives to be incorporated into family intervention.

Stress and Coping of Parents with Children Seeking Treatment from a Tertiary Care Mental Health Institute

Abstract Background: Parenting a child with special needs puts very high demands making it difficult to cope, and parents perceive stress which often results in lack of experiencing the joy of parenting. The negative psychological effects of having a child with disability emerged in the result of many studies. Aims: The study aimed to assess the stress and coping of parents with children seeking treatment from a tertiary care mental health. Objectives: The study objectives were to assess the stress, ways of coping of parents seeking treatment from tertiary care mental institute. To find out the association of stress, ways of coping of parents with selected demographic variables and to determine the correlation between stress and coping of parents. Materials and Methods: A quantitative approach and descriptive research design were adopted for this study. A total of 100 parents of children seeking treatment from child and adolescent clinic of tertiary care mental health institute, Tezpur, Assam. Study subjects were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Socio-demographic pro forma, parental stress scale, and ways of coping (revised) were used for data collection after ethical clearance and written permission from concerned authorities. Results: In parental stress, the mean score for the participants was 45.72 ± 8.25. Regarding the way of coping frequently used by the participants, 36% of participants had used positive reappraisal coping followed by multiple (two or more). Coping measures were used by 25% of participants and planful problem-solving by 20% of participants. There was no significant association found between parental stress and selected sociodemographic variables. Results showed a significant association between gender and ways of coping used by the participants in the coping strategy of distancing (x 2 = 3.910, P = 0.048), accepting responsibility (x 2 = 4.254, P = 0.039), and positive reappraisal (x 2 = 10.364, P = 0.001). The significant association was found between planful problem-solving coping strategy and educational level of participants (x 2 = 8.046, P = 0.005), birth order of the child seeking treatment (x 2 = 4.557, Fisher’s exact test = 0.043). Furthermore, the coping strategy, positive reappraisal was found significantly associated with age (x 2 = 7.658, P = 0.006), gender (x 2 = 10.364, P = 0.001), and occupation ((x 2 = 5.396, P = 0.020) of participants. The result showed that there was no significant correlation between parental stress and ways of coping of parents of children seeking treatment from the child and adolescent clinic of a tertiary care mental institute. Conclusion: Our findings help to appreciate the many coping mechanisms that parents employ while caring for their children who have mental illness as well as parental stress. Effective intervention programs can be designed to educate parents and assist them in managing their stress by understanding various coping mechanisms, and how they affect parental stress. In a nation with little resources, psychiatric nurses and mental health professionals can mobilize resources that are sensitive to cultural differences and address the issue associated with parental stress and coping.

Parenting stress and marital satisfaction among parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders: Moderating role of resilience

Background: Parenting stress is an important factor that affects the marital satisfaction of parents of children with Neurodevelopmental disorders. When parents are faced with a challenging situation, such as having a child with a neuro-developmental disability, resilience facilitates a more positive coping style and improves marital satisfaction. Objective: to investigate the relationship between parenting children with neurodevelopment disorders, stress and marital satisfaction among parents while moderating the role of resilience. Methodology: The cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on n=300 parents of children with ADHD, an intellectual disability, and autism. Purposive sampling was employed to get a sample from RHS Rehabilitation Centre Islamabad. The mothers (n=150) and fathers (n=150) were selected with the age range of 25 to 50 years. Parenting stress was measured using the Parental Stress Scale after translating it into Urdu. To determine the Resilience, the Urdu version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale was used. Whereas marital satisfaction was determined using an Urdu-translated version of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Results: A negative correlation was revealed in the findings between parenting stress and marital satisfaction (p < 0.05). Moderation analysis demonstrated a significant effect of resilience on the relationship between parenting stress and marital satisfaction (R2 = 0.70, B = 0.002, β = -0.71, p < 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, it was found that high stress experienced by parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders has a negative impact on their marital satisfaction. Both their marriage and parental lives were affected equally. For both fathers and mothers, resilience can be a useful tool in resolving marital problems. Keywords: marital satisfaction, neurodevelopmental disorders, parenting stress, resilience

Exploring the Challenges of Transgender Parents in Nurturing Their Children- Study Area West Bengal

Objective: Good parenting is not dependent on gender identity. In a society where we find transgender parents, obviously the countless of criticisms and disapproval were pre-determined. This creates many constraints in the means of parenting their children, as several protective and risk factors have been associated with it. Again the quality of the relationship between transparent and their children has an important influence on child wellbeing as well as the transphobic attitudes of the parent linked with negative outcomes. Therefore, the present study’s intentions is to portray the challenges faced by transgender parents in nurturing their children within a society. Methodology: The study is Descriptive survey nature where purposive non-probability techniques have been adopted for selecting the respondents from the study area of Kolkata. The total number of respondents were 72 transparents and other 72 were their adopted children consisting of different age groups. As research instrument investigator used three different scales like self-made challenging factorial scale, The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) scale, Parental Stress Subscale and were conducted for securing relevant information regarding personal and social constraints and the quality of stress they share in their life that effect the mental wellbeing of their children. The data were analyzed with the help of descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS software. Result: The findings of the study reveals that there is significant relationship between parental challenging factors of transgender and nurturing of their children. There is negative significant relationship between the subscales of perceived parental stress scale of transparents and the psychological wellbeing of children. They face lots of hurdles which develop a feeling of helplessness within them due to disapproval and isolation from society. Conclusion: A supportive environment seemed essential in the process of acceptance and adjustment towards a transgender children. However, hetero-normative social environments seemed not always well-placed to cope with the challenges of a gender transition, and the transgender person and his or her family may thus need specific professional support which is often still reported to be missing.

Stress, Anxiety, and Postpartum Depression in Parents with Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

This study aimed to determine stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression in parents with premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit. This cross-sectional study was conducted between July 15 and November 31, 2021. The research involved 120 premature infants and their parents (120 mothers and 120 fathers). This research was carried out in Şanlıurfa Mehmet Akif İnan Training and Research Hospital, third level neonatal intensive care unit. Introductory Information Form, Parental Stress Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale were used as data collection tools. Stress, anxiety, and depression were high in parents. Stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression mean scores of mothers were significantly higher than that of fathers. A positive correlation was found between stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression in parents. Simple regression analysis revealed that stress in mothers predicted depression by 5% and stress in fathers predicted anxiety by 30%. This study emphasizes that stress, anxiety, and depression are seen at high rates in parents with premature infants, and stress increases anxiety in fathers and depression in mothers.

Parental burnout of parents of primary school students: an analysis from the perspective of job demands-resources.

Based on the theory of Job Demands-Resources, this study has been set out to examine how parenting demands, parenting resources affect parental burnout of primary school students' parents. An online survey with four scales (Parenting Stress Scale, Perceived Family Support Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale and Parental Burnout Scale) was completed by 600 parents of students from three primary schools in Central China. Structural equation models were implemented. Parenting stress had a positive impact on parental burnout (β = 0.486, p < 0.001). Both perceived family support (β = -0.228, p < 0.001) and psychological resilience (β = -0.332, p = 0.001) had a negative impact on parental burnout. Perceived family support played a moderating role between parenting stress and parental burnout (β = -0.121, p < 0.001). Psychological resilience also played a moderating role between parenting stress and parental burnout (β = -0.201, p < 0.001). Psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between perceived family support and parental burnout. The total effect was -0.290, with 95% CI (-0.350, -0.234). Direct effect was -0.228, with 95% CI (-0.283, -0.174), and indirect effect was -0.062, with 95% CI (-0.092, -0.037). Parental burnout may be reduced by increasing family support and self-improvement of psychological resilience. In the same way, the impact of parenting stress on parental burnout may be buffered under high-pressure situations.

Compassionate love parenting training to reduce stress in caregivers of children with special needs: An experimental study

Caregivers of children with special needs experience a high workload, which causes stress and low quality of life. A compassionate love attitude amongst caregivers is needed to improve the quality of parenting. This study aims to develop a compassionate love parenting training program to reduce stress among children with special needs caregivers. The method employed was Pre-experimental Design, with One-group Pre-test-Post-test. The research participants were 40 care­givers identified using the purposive sampling technique. In the pre-test, the stress level of the caregivers was measured using the Parental Stress Scale with 24 items (α = .828). The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test to observe the differences between the pre-test and post-test of two dependent samples. The results show that the stress score decreased significantly, with Z = -2.023 and with a significance level of .043 .05. It is demonstrated that regular training in compassionate love parenting reduced the stress felt by caregivers of children with special needs. The implementation of compassionate love parenting training in special needs therapeutic centers is important, as it is one of the intervention methods that has been proven to reduce the level of stress to optimize the growth of the child.

Stress Levels in Mothers of Admitted Newborns in NICU and Effect of Counseling.

To examine the effect of counseling on stress levels in mothers of neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This prospective research was carried out from January 2020 to December 2020 in a central India teaching hospital providing tertiary care. Parental Stressor Scale (PSS):NICU questionnaire was used to measure maternal stress among mothers of540 admitted infants between 3 and 7 d of admission. Counseling was done at the time of recruitment and its effect was measured after 72h and re-counseling was done. This cycle of stress assessment and counseling was repeated every 72h till the baby was admitted in the NICU. Overall stress levels for each subscale were determined, and pre- and post-counseling stress was compared. For the subscales of sight and sound, appearance and behavior, change in the parental role, and staff behavior and communication, the median scores were 1.5 (IQR-1.2-1.88), 2.5 (2.3-2.9), 3.3 (3.0-3.6) and 1.3 (1.1-1.62), respectively indicating high stress in the parental role alteration. Counseling was effective in reducing stress levels among all mothers irrespective of various maternal factors (p <0.01). Stress reduces more with increasing number of counseling, as suggested by higher change in the stress score with increased number of counseling. This study shows that NICU mothers are under remarkable stress and repeated counseling sessions targeted at particular concerns might assist.

The Chinese Parenting Stress Scale for Preschoolers' Parents: Development and Initial Validation.

Parenting stress is the experience of discomfort or distress that results from the demands associated with the role of parenting. Although there are numerous parenting stress scales, relatively few scales have been developed with consideration of the Chinese cultural context. This study aimed to develop and validate the Chinese Parenting Stress Scale (CPSS) with a multidimensional and hierarchical structure for Mainland Chinese preschoolers' parents (N = 1,427, Mage = 35.63 years, SD = 4.69). In Study 1, a theoretical model and an initial 118 items were developed, drawing on prior research and existing measures of parenting stress. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 15 first-order factors with 60 items. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analyses supported a higher order solution consisting of 15 first-order factors covering four domains: Child Development (12 items), Difficult Child (16 items), Parent-Child Interaction (12 items), and Parent's Readjustment to Life (20 items). Measurement invariance indicated no gender differences between parents for the scale scores. The convergent, discriminant, and criteria validity of the CPSS scores was supported by its association with related variables in the expected directions. Moreover, the CPSS scores added significant incremental variance in predicting somatization, anxiety, and child's emotional symptoms more so than the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form-15. The CPSS total and subscale scores all had acceptable Cronbach's αs in both samples. The overall findings support the CPSS as a psychometrically sound tool.

Relationship between parental stress and post-traumatic stress disorder: The moderating effect of visitation restrictions in paediatric intensive care units during COVID-19.

Visitation restrictions due to COVID-19 kept parents from being with their children who were hospitalized in the PICU and from meeting with professional staff. This study examined the moderating effect of COVID-19-induced visitation restrictions on the relationship between stress and post-traumatic stress disorder in parents of children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit. We conducted a descriptive, exploratory study involving 93 parents of children hospitalized in the paediatric intensive care unit using the Korean version of the Parental Stressor Scale: Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Revised Impact of Events Scale. Descriptive, Pearson's correlation, and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the data. Self-reported survey questionnaires were provided for parents to complete in a separate area of the outpatient clinic when they visited for follow-up care after their children were discharged from the paediatric intensive care unit. Mothers showed significantly higher post-traumatic stress disorder scores than fathers. The relationship between all the sub-domains of perceived stress and post-traumatic stress disorder was statistically significant. Visitation restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic had significant moderating effects on the relationship between perceived parental stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, the moderating effects of COVID-19 were exhibited when the two sub-domains-hyperarousal and intrusion-were investigated. Paediatric intensive care unit visitation may be an important intervention for parental post-traumatic stress disorder. Parental visitation should be enabled, and alternative interventions should be developed in situations where visitation is prohibited. It is necessary to develop and apply various and effective alternatives visitation that can prepare hospitals for visiting restrictions during pandemic situations which could emerge in the future.

Parental Stress Scale: Psychometric Properties in Parents of Preschool Children with Developmental Language Disorder.

Parents of children with developmental disabilities experience more stress compared to those of typically developing children; therefore, measuring parental stress may help clinicians to address it. The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) is a self-rceport measure in the public domain that assesses stress related to child rearing. The present study tested the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the PSS in 204 parents (mean age: 39.4 ± 5.7, 124 mothers and 80 fathers) of kindergarten children diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) after a clinical assessment. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the original four-factor structure. The results showed that the original four-factor structure (parental rewards, parental stressors, lack of control and parental satisfaction) is valid in this specific Greek population. The reliability was high (ω = 0.78) and there were weak correlations (r = -0.372, r = -0.337, r = -0.236), yet of statistical significance (p < 0.001), with similar psychological constructs (quality of life, emotional functioning and worries). Our data confirmed that the PSS is a reliable and valid tool to measure parental stress in parents of children with DLD. Greek clinicians (mental health professionals, speech-language pathologists) can evaluate parental stress and design early interventions targeting specific stress aspects, along with core language interventions for the children.

The Stress of Mothers with Preterm Infants from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to Home: A Mixed Methods Study

Families of premature newborns hospitalized in intensive care tend to face fear and distress. After discharge, these families have different care needs, and some will continue to experience high levels of stress. Therefore, this study aimed to identify maternal stress levels and difficulties with at-home infant care using a parallel convergent mixed methods research design. Quantitative data were collected using the Parental Stress Scale (administered at a hospital) and the Parental Stress Index Scale (administered at a follow-up clinic) with 51 mothers of preterm infants in Brazil. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with 15 mothers, randomly selected from the quantitative sample 3 to 6 months after discharge. Higher maternal stress scores and lower parenting confidence were associated with child hospitalization. However, family support helped mothers adapt to the new home care routine, empowering them to develop healthy maternal competence. Data integration showed that the sample and subsample presented similar stress levels.

Effectiveness of Jacobson Progressive Relaxation, Acceptance &amp; Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Stress, Anxiety and Quality of Life in Mothers of Differently Abled Children: A Quasi Experimental Study

Background And Objectives: Stress and anxiety are the current global problem facing by mothers of differently abled children and that leading to lower quality of life. Presence of a special child in a family is known to impact families in varied ways. A good parent and child relationships are vital for the development of children. Therefore, this study was undertaken to find the effectiveness of Jacobson progressive relaxation, acceptance &amp; commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy on stress in mothers of differently abled children. Methodology: Twenty subjects were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, then divided into two groups. Experimental group (n= 10) received Jacobson progressive relaxation, acceptance &amp; commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Control group (n=10) not received any intervention. Exercise program was held for three days a week for 40 minutes for 8 weeks. Stress, anxiety and quality of life were measured at the pre and post of intervention using Parenting stress scale, State – Trait Anxiety Inventory and World Health Organization Quality Of Life- Bref. Results &amp; Discussion: Paired t test is used to analyze the results within the group and independent t test were used to analyze the results between the groups. The significance level kept as p &lt; 0.05. From pre to post eight week intervention, statistically significant changes were observed in all of the outcome measures. Conclusion: A combined intervention of Jacobson progressive relaxation, acceptance &amp; commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are effective in improving stress, anxiety and quality of life in mothers of differently abled children. Keywords: Mother’s stress, anxiety and quality of life; Jacobson progressive relaxation, Acceptance &amp; commitment therapy and Cognitive behavioral therapy.