Validation of parental stress scale in a Greek sample of mothers with infants from 0 to 12 months

Abstract

Parenting an offspring is a rewarding, albeit challenging task, often accompanied by high levels of stress. It is important to accurately assess the stress associated with parenting, as severe forms of stress may affect the parent‐child dyad and lead to poor child outcomes. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) in the Greek population. We implemented forward and back translation and conducted a pilot test. A total of 735 mothers (Mage = 34.6) with infants aged 0–12 months completed the PSS, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The Greek PSS‐18 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .83) and adequate convergent validity. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed two underlying factors: positive aspects of parenting and negative aspects of parenting. Our data confirm the validity of the Greek version of the PSS‐18 in mothers with infants aged 0–12 months. The Greek version of the PSS‐18 could be a useful tool for professionals and researchers who are interested in perinatal period and the aspects of parenthood.

The Parental Stress Scale: Psychometric Properties in Pediatric Hospital Emergency Setting

“…This phenomenon has also been observed in the study by Leung et al [ 40 ] which suggested that the PSS may pose difficulties for parents with low levels of stress. In terms of internal consistency, the indices were optimal and in line with those that were described in the literature [ 30 , 31 , 32 ], with slightly higher values being identified than those that were obtained in other validation studies of the instrument [ 18 , 34 , 36 , 41 , 42 , 43 ].…”

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

“…Moreover, there are studies [27,34,35] in the literature that have altered the scale (e.g., score in a 4-point Likert scale instead of the original 5-point, drop-out items, used in grandparents). Recently, a Greek validation study [28], in mothers of healthy infants 0-12 months old, revealed two underlying factors (positive and negative aspects of parenting), confirming the validity of the scale.…”

“…Specifically, Zelman et al [29] replicated the original four-factor structure in children with newly diagnosed asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, food allergy and juvenile arthritis, concluding that the PSS is a valid and reliable tool for these parents. Some studies in the literature [26][27][28] identified a two-factor solution as the best model fit; however, Pontoppidan et al [26] suggested that the four factors may represent subdivisions of two factors, called parental stressors and parental satisfaction. The same hypothesis was stated in the original study, where Berry and Jones [2] supported the dichotomy (positive and negative) of the parenting experiences.…”

“…Two items (2 and 4) failed to load on any of the above four factors and were removed in the original study. The Greek version [28] used for mothers of infants 0-12 months old revealed a 2-factor model with the 2 underlying factors labeled: (a) positive aspects of parenting and (b) negative aspects of parenting.…”

“…An important feature of PSS is that it was designed for use in diverse parental populations; the norms are derived from mothers and fathers of typically developing children as well as of children receiving services for emotional and/or behavioral problems. The PSS is widely used and has been translated into over 25 languages, including Greek, as well as in the general population and in clinical samples, including chronic health conditions, ADHD and ASD [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]. Following a principal axis factor analysis, Berry and Jones [2] found 4 factors of the 16 items (2 items were excluded) were labeled parental rewards, parental stressors, lack of control and parental satisfaction.…”