Parenting generally brings about high internal and external demands, which can be perceived as stressful when they exceed families’ resources. When faced with such stressors, parents need to deploy several adaptive strategies to successfully overcome these challenges. One of such strategies is coping, an important cognitive and behavioural skill. In this study, we intended to examine the psychometric properties of Carver’s (1997) Brief COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced), extending its cross-cultural validity among a Portuguese sample of community and at-risk parents. The sample comprised community (n = 153) and at-risk (n = 116) parents who completed the brief COPE, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales and the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, cross sample invariance, convergent and discriminant validity were analysed. Data from the confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 14-factor model obtained the best fit. The results provided evidence that the Brief COPE is a psychometrically sound instrument that shows measurement invariance across samples and good reliability. Our findings demonstrated that the Portuguese version of brief COPE is a useful, time-efficient tool for both practitioners and researchers who need to assess coping strategies, a relevant construct in family context.

No abstract

Marital satisfaction is a key construct in the assessment of a couple’s relationship, and it encompasses aspects such as the feelings of affection, trust, and companionship that arise from the exchanges between spouses. The ENRICH Marital Satisfaction (EMS) Scale has been widely used as a reliable measure to assess marital satisfaction. In the present study, we aimed to analyze the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the EMS Scale in a sample of Portuguese parents. A total of 205 mothers and fathers participated; 107 were women (52%), and 98 were men (48%), and the mean age was 38.39 years (SD = 5.85). The majority were two-parent families (89.3%), with children between the ages of 1 and 13 years (M = 6.90), 53% of whom were boys. The participants completed the EMS Scale together with the Parenting Stress Index Short Form and the Parenting Alliance Inventory. The results from a confirmatory factor analysis corroborate the two-dimensional structure of the instrument, with internal validity and reliability values that were suitable for application in the Portuguese population. The EMS Scale can be an important resource, with good psychometric quality, for professionals and researchers, which can be used in assessment and intervention programs, both at the individual and couple levels.

Marital satisfaction is a multidimensional construct that encompasses the satisfaction with marital interactions and with the emotional and the practical aspects of marriage. Marital satisfaction has a great impact on personal well-being and affects the family as a whole; low marital satisfaction has been associated with unhappiness and with higher divorce rates. Furthermore, marital satisfaction is related with family functioning and is an indicator of the quality of the parenting relationship. The Enrich Marital Satisfaction (EMS) scale is a two-factor and 15-items self-report measure that assesses satisfaction with the marital relationship. This study analysed the psychometric properties of the EMS among two samples: at-risk ( N = 273, M = 37.05 years, 82.05% women) and community ( N = 205, M = 38.38 years, 52.2% women) Portuguese parents. Participants completed the EMS and measures of parenting sense of competence, parenting stress, and parenting alliance. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the revised two-factor model obtained the best fit, after removing a few items. Measurement invariance across the two samples was demonstrated. The EMS showed good psychometric properties, namely internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity. The EMS is a time-efficient tool for both researchers and practitioners who need to assess marital satisfaction, a relevant dimension for family functioning and parenting.

No abstract