Psychometric properties of the Parenting Stress Index with parents of children with autistic disorder.
Use the 30-item PSI-SF, not the 36-item one, when measuring parenting stress in Arab families of children with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team tested the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) with 140 Jordanian mothers of children with autism.
They compared the old 36-item form to a shorter 30-item version to see which one measured stress better.
All moms spoke Arabic and had kids diagnosed with autistic disorder.
What they found
The 30-item PSI-SF won. It fit the data better and was easier to finish.
Three clear factors popped out: parental distress, parent-child stress, and difficult child.
Moms with higher stress also reported more severe autism traits in their kids.
How this fits with other research
Rieth et al. (2022) did the same kind of check on the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale and also found clean factors.
Bianca et al. (2024) later used the PSI-SF and showed child insomnia hikes parent stress, proving the tool picks up real-life changes.
Melegari et al. (2025) found high PSI-SF scores make bullying hurt more, so the measure also flags families who need extra support.
Why it matters
If you work with Arab families, switch to the 30-item Arabic PSI-SF today. It saves time, still gives valid scores, and helps you spot parents who need help right away.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Print the free 30-item Arabic PSI-SF and swap it into your intake packet.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties and the theoretical structure of the Parenting Stress Index-short form (PSI-SF) with Jordanian parents of children with autistic disorder. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design for data collection, the convenience sample of the study was composed of 184 Jordanian parents of children with autistic disorder. The factor structure for the PSI-SF was examined using confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. RESULTS: We found that the modified three-factor model (30 items) fits the data significantly better than the 36-item model. The results showed that the 12 items of the Parental Distress sub-scale support the original scale structure. However, items in the Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction and Difficult Child sub-scales did not show stability in their structure. The results in this study showed that the PSI-SF in its 30-item model has endorsed the necessary validity of the scale with parents of children with autistic disorder. The study provides information on the effects of Arab culture on the validity of PSI-SF. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to use the new factors structure of the PSI-SF with the 30 items in the studies that intend to examine the stress among parents with children with autistic disorder in the Arab world.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2014 · doi:10.1111/jir.12053