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Validity of the Short Form of the Parenting Stress Index for Fathers of Toddlers

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Abstract

We examined the psychometric properties of two scales of the parenting stress index-short form (PSI-SF) in a low-income sample of fathers of toddlers. The factor structure, reliability, and validity of the parental distress and parent–child dysfunctional interaction subscales were assessed for 696 fathers in a multi-site study of Early Head Start. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) compared the fit of the developer recommended two-factor scales with five-factor scales theoretically derived and supported with mothers. Our results suggested that two subscales from the PSI-SF were reliable and valid for this sample of racially diverse, low-income fathers of toddlers. However, these subscales capture multiple dimensions of parenting stress and results also supported the use of more narrowly defined aspects of parenting stress that included general distress, distress specifically related to parenting demands, problematic interactions of the father–toddler dyad, perceptions of the child, and parental perceptions of self as a parent. These unidimensional scales may prove useful in research and clinical activities by allowing researchers to elucidate the mechanisms through which stress impacts parenting and permitting clinicians information to develop more targeted interventions for young children and their families.

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Acknowledgements

Research reported in this article was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Children, Youth and Families as part of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) and Fathers Involvement with Toddlers Study (FITS). The authors wish to thank the members of the Early Head Start Consortium Measurement and Father Working Groups. The EHSRE Work Group members represent the national EHS evaluation contractor (Mathematica Policy Research and Columbia University), the funding agencies (Administration on Children, Youth, and Families; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the Department of Health and Human Services; and the Ford Foundation), the local research universities participating in the Early Head Start Research Consortium, and program directors from the EHS programs participating in the national evaluation. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the US Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US government. Sample items from the Parenting Stress Index Short Form are reproduced by special permission of the Publisher, Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., 16204 N. Florida Avenue, Lutz, FL 33549, from the Parenting Stress Index Short Form by Richard R. Abidin, Ed.D., Copyright 1990, 1995 by PAR, Inc. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission from PAR, Inc.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Lorraine M. McKelvey, Leanne Whiteside-Mansell & Andrea D. Hart

  2. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences/Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

    Richard A. Faldowski

  3. Department of Social Work, University of North Carolina – Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA

    Jeffrey Shears

  4. Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

    Catherine Ayoub

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  1. Lorraine M. McKelvey
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Correspondence to Lorraine M. McKelvey.

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McKelvey, L.M., Whiteside-Mansell, L., Faldowski, R.A. et al. Validity of the Short Form of the Parenting Stress Index for Fathers of Toddlers. J Child Fam Stud 18, 102–111 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-008-9211-4

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