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Parenting Stress Index

The Parenting Stress Index, 3rd Ed. (PSI) is a norm-referenced test developed by Richard R. Abidin. The PSI assesses for dysfunction in the parent-child relationship and is based on a theory that the level of stress in the parent-child dyad is the result of child, parent, and situational characteristics. The PSI attempts to identify parental levels of stress, dysfunctional parenting dynamics, and childhood behavior problems. The measure assumes a direct interaction between parental stress and behavior problems in children. The PSI can be a useful assessment for therapists working with parents and families, abusive or at-risk families, children with adjustment or behavior disorders, and clients in forensics settings.

Description of the Instrument

The PSI is a 120-item self-report questionnaire that assesses child and parent behaviors on a number of domains. It typically takes a respondent 20 to 30 minutes to complete the questionnaire. The PSI is normed for parents of children between 1 month and 12 years of age. One unique feature of the PSI is that it starts out as a behavior checklist on which a care-giver rates a child, but in the middle of the questionnaire, it becomes a self-report checklist where the parent rates him- or herself. Consequently the PSI has subscales that compose a child domain and a parent domain.

Child Domain

The child domain assesses for characteristics displayed by children that make them difficult to parent. Subscales that compose the child domain include the following:

Distractibility/hyperactivity scale (DI)—This scale assesses behaviors that are consistent with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD). It is possible for a parent to rate a child highly on this scale but the child does not qualify for a diagnosis of AD/HD. In those cases, explanations for the parent's high ranking may include the parent lacking the necessary energy to deal with a normal child, the parent being older and having difficulty adjusting to life with a child, or the parent having unrealistic expectations for the child's behavior.

Adaptability (AD)—This scale assesses a child's ability to adapt to changes in his or her physical or social environment. High scores on this domain are associated with the need for routine and distress with change often seen in children with autistic spectrum disorders. Children with high scores also tend to overreact to changes in sensory stimulation, avoid interacting with others, have difficulty being calmed when upset, and have difficulty forming meaningful relationships.

Reinforces parent (RE)—This scale assesses how reinforcing it is for a parent to be with this child. High scores suggest that the parent-child interaction fails to produce positive feelings. Possible explanations for this situation include that a child is impaired in his or her response capacity, the child is depressed, the parent is depressed and projecting negative appraisals onto the child, or the parent is misinterpreting or unable to understand the child.

Demandingness (DE)—The demandingness scale assesses a parent's perception that the child is placing unrealistic demands upon him or her. High scores are associated with ratings that describe a child as being unreasonable, impatient, and needy. The stress associated with perceptions of demandingness can be magnified if the parent is overly committed to being a model parent. High scores on demandingness can also be associated with separation anxiety in young children and oppositional and defiant behaviors in older children.

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