Questionnaire Analysis

The Parental Stress Index (PSI-36) is a questionnaire consisting of 120 items, completed by parents. However, due to its extensive length, shorter forms were later developed. The original version with 120 items was created by Solis and Abidin in 1998. The shorter forms include a 36-item version derived from the original and a 4-item version, both developed by Abidin in 2012.

Purpose of the Questionnaire

Both the full version of the questionnaire and its shorter forms measure parents’ stress toward their children, which may stem from various external or internal factors. The Parental Stress Index (PSI-36) was not designed for criminological purposes, but it is increasingly used in forensic contexts today. Its authors have acknowledged that they are not forensic psychologists and that they never envisioned the PSI-36 being used for forensic purposes. Nevertheless, like other psychological tools, it has expanded its utility through the research and clinical efforts of others.

Scoring of the Items

The PSI-36 consists of three subscales, each composed of items that group together most effectively. These subscales are:
Parental Distress (PD)
Parent–Child Dysfunctional Interaction (PCDI)
Difficult Child (DC)
as well as a Total Stress (TS) scale.

Statistical Analysis

According to the questionnaire’s manual, scores at or above the 85th percentile on the Total Stress (TS) scale are considered borderline clinically significant, based on the standards of the full PSI-36. However, the clinical utility of this threshold has not been extensively examined in the literature.

Validity and Reliability

The PSI-36 was developed based on various exploratory factor analyses of the full PSI, and its primary use is in research concerning parent–child relationships or the assessment of parental stress levels alone. Its validity and reliability have been demonstrated through its wide use in research.

References

Abidin, R. R., Austin, W. G., & Flens, J. R. (2013). The forensic uses and limitations of the Parenting Stress Index.