Parenting and stress: A study with Spanish and Portuguese at-risk families

Abstract

This study analyzed parenting stress, parental sense of competence, and stressful life events in families at psychosocial risk in Western Andalusia (Spain) and the Algarve (Portugal). Differences and similarities between families from both countries on these dimensions were explored, as well as the influence of country of origin in determining risk profiles for this population. Although both groups shared some sociodemographic characteristics, differences were found on all studied dimensions, with Portuguese mothers showing higher levels of parenting stress, sense of competence, and accumulation of stressful life events. Results suggest that higher risk families tend to share psychosocial characteristics, regardless of their country of origin.

The Brief COPE: Measurement Invariance and Psychometric Properties among Community and At-Risk Portuguese Parents

“…The at-risk group reported a lower educational level compared to the community sample. This result is similar to other studies that showed that at-risk families live in precarious economic, employment and educational conditions and therefore constitute a vulnerable group [ 6 , 7 , 11 ].…”

“…There are families in which there is a variable, but significant, degree of risk for the well-being of children, although the situation is not serious enough to require child out-of-home placement [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. In this context, and from a situational perspective, one type of stress that stands out is the one associated with the exercise of parenting.…”

“…In this context, and from a situational perspective, one type of stress that stands out is the one associated with the exercise of parenting. Taking into consideration one of the instruments most frequently used in the international literature to assess this dimension, the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form [ 8 ], at-risk families’ scores generally fall between 80 to 100 points in the total parental stress scale [ 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 ], whereas families from community samples score around 70 points [ 9 , 12 ]. This indicates that parents living in contexts of psychosocial risk tend to frequently feel overwhelmed by the demands derived from their parenting role [ 10 , 11 , 13 ].…”

Parenting Sense of Competence in at Psychosocial Risk Families and Child Well-Being

“…Although studies with high risk EE-UU populations have found that parents from families at psychosocial risk tend to perceive themselves as being less competent in their parenting role than community populations (Coleman & Karrarer, 1997;Raikes & Thompson, 2005), other researchers from Spain note that the perception atrisk parents have about their own abilities may be distorted. Specifically, families with a more severe risk profile tend to perceive themselves as highly efficacious and competent in their selfevaluations as parents (Martín, Alemán, Marchena & Santana, 2015;Menéndez et al, 2011;Pérez et al, 2015;Rodrigo & Byrne, 2011).…”

Development and Validation of the Family Feedback on Child Welfare Services (FF-CWS)

“…Notwithstanding these differences, in both countries, there is a significant dearth of information regarding the perceptions and feelings of at-risk families toward CWS. Previous research comparing Portuguese and Spanish at-risk families assisted by family preservation services showed that they share several sociodemographic characteristics, such as economic stress, low educational levels, high levels of unemployment, and being multiassisted by community services (Pérez-Padilla et al, 2015).…”