Psychometric properties of the Scandinavian version of Parental Stress Scale (PSS): 2nd edition

Abstract

Description: The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) is a self-report instrument designed to measure parental stress, which was developed by Berry and Jones in 1995. The Norwegian version of the PSS was translated by Ane Nærde (year not specified). Respondents rate the 18 items of the PSS on a 5-point Likert scale, which are used to calculate a total score. A higher total score on the PSS indicates a greater level of stress. The target population for this instrument is parents of children aged 0 to 18 years.

Literature search: A search for Scandinavian publications that reported measurement properties or norm data for the PSS in a sample of parents yielded 306 references. Of those, 19 texts were selected based on the titles and abstracts, and 10 were included in the study. Six of the studies were Danish and four were Norwegian. Four of the articles (2 Norwegian and 2 Danish) were psychometric studies. The Norwegian psychometric studies draw participants from the same sample; first when the child was 12 months (N=1096) and then when the child was 4 years (N=1030).

Psychometrics: No Scandinavian norms for the PSS were identified, however, the included studies indicated promising psychometric properties regarding internal consistency and factor structure. Both Norwegian studies conducted factor analyses with the intention of examining the underlying factor structure of the PSS items, which in both cases resulted in a two-factor structure. The two Danish studies also resulted in a two-factor structure using Rasch analyses. All four studies resulted in a different number of items.

Conclusion: The literature review suggests that the PSS overall appears to be a relatively well-researched instrument in terms of certain aspects of its psychometric properties, however no Scandinavian norms are available. The four studies on psychometric structure of the PSS in Scandinavian samples has indicated a two-factor structure. Norwegian studies found factors related to parental stressors and lack of reward. Danish studies have also reported a two-factor structure, with subscales described as parental stress and lack of parental satisfaction. However, there is variation in the specific items included in the different factors across studies. Consequently, there is a need for further research. The literature review identifies several adapted versions of the PSS. These adapted versions of the instrument need to be cross-validated in new samples to investigate their generalizability. Future studies should address the issue of establish clinical or intervention cut-off points for the instrument in the form of a sensitivity-specificity study. A correlation analysis should also be conducted to assess convergence by examining the relationship between the PSS and other instruments in a Norwegian/Scandinavian context. As for test-retest reliability and measurement invariance over time, neither has been assessed in the included studies, and both should be investigated in future research to ensure the PSS maintains consistent measurement properties across different time points. The PSS should be used with caution beyond the samples in which the instrument has been validated.

Description

The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) is a self-report instrument designed to measure parental stress, which was developed by Berry and Jones in 1995. The Norwegian version of the PSS was translated by Ane Nærde (year not specified). Respondents rate the 18 items of the PSS on a 5-point Likert scale, which are used to calculate a total score. A higher total score on the PSS indicates a greater level of stress. The target population for this instrument is parents of children aged 0 to 18 years.

Literature search

A search for Scandinavian publications that reported measurement properties or norm data for the PSS in a sample of parents yielded 306 references. Of those, 19 texts were selected based on the titles and abstracts, and 10 were included in the study. Six of the studies were Danish and four were Norwegian. Four of the articles (2 Norwegian and 2 Danish) were psychometric studies. The Norwegian psychometric studies draw participants from the same sample; first when the child was 12 months (N=1096) and then when the child was 4 years (N=1030).

Psychometrics

No Scandinavian norms for the PSS were identified, however, the included studies indicated promising psychometric properties regarding internal consistency and factor structure. Both Norwegian studies conducted factor analyses with the intention of examining the underlying factor structure of the PSS items, which in both cases resulted in a two-factor structure. The two Danish studies also resulted in a two-factor structure using Rasch analyses. All four studies resulted in a different number of items.

Conclusion

The literature review suggests that the PSS overall appears to be a relatively well-researched instrument in terms of certain aspects of its psychometric properties, however no Scandinavian norms are available. The four studies on psychometric structure of the PSS in Scandinavian samples has indicated a two-factor structure. Norwegian studies found factors related to parental stressors and lack of reward. Danish studies have also reported a two-factor structure, with subscales described as parental stress and lack of parental satisfaction. However, there is variation in the specific items included in the different factors across studies. Consequently, there is a need for further research. The literature review identifies several adapted versions of the PSS. These adapted versions of the instrument need to be cross-validated in new samples to investigate their generalizability. Future studies should address the issue of establish clinical or intervention cut-off points for the instrument in the form of a sensitivity-specificity study. A correlation analysis should also be conducted to assess convergence by examining the relationship between the PSS and other instruments in a Norwegian/Scandinavian context. As for test-retest reliability and measurement invariance over time, neither has been assessed in the included studies, and both should be investigated in future research to ensure the PSS maintains consistent measurement properties across different time points. The PSS should be used with caution beyond the samples in which the instrument has been validated.