Parental satisfaction and stress in adoption

Parenting involves a set of complex and ongoing, responsibilities, which require constant adaptation to change according to the specific needs of each child. This can result in numerous parenting difficulties. Parental stress... [ view full abstract ]

Parenting involves a set of complex and ongoing, responsibilities, which require constant adaptation to change according to the specific needs of each child. This can result in numerous parenting difficulties. Parental stress has been receiving increased attention from the scientific community. It has been defined as an adverse psychological reaction to the demands associated with maternal and paternal roles that can also affect parental behaviour and the quality of the parent/child interaction. Research suggests a relationship between parental stress and satisfaction. High levels of parental stress are associated with a decrease of adoption parental satisfaction, in which the children’s problems constitute a significant predictor of the variability of satisfaction.
This study aims to explore the variables regarding adoptive parenting which can be predictors of stress and satisfaction in Portuguese adoptive parents. The participants in this study were 58 adoptive parents, with ages ranging from 34 to 65 years old. Data was collected by interviewing the parents on adoption satisfaction and using the Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents (SIPA) to assess the level of stress experienced by the parents of children ranging from 12 to 18 years old. The SIPA permits assessing four dimensions of stress experienced by parents, namely, perception of stress in adolescent children, experience of parenting, relationship between parents and adolescents and external stressors. The results will explore the relationships among the different dimensions of parental stress, parental adoption satisfaction and specificities of adoptive parenting.
The results of this study will allow for the understanding of the processes underlining the variability in adoptive parenting of adolescents. They will also contribute to the support of political decision making and the definition of adoption professional practices in Portugal.