Validation of the Arabic Parental Stress Scale among Lebanese parents facing multiple crises

The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) is a well-known tool widely used for assessing parenting stress. However, there is a lack of an Arabic-validated version. This study aimed to validate the PSS in Arabic for use with Lebanese individuals, specifically among parents in Lebanon. A cross-sectional study including 589 parents in Lebanon were performed between May and July 2023, using random sampling of parents from the five Lebanese governorates. The PSS was translated into Arabic and administered using an online survey. The study collected the sociodemographic data of the participants and incorporated supplementary measures such as the Pediatric Symptom Checklist and the InCharge Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess construct validity. Reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha. Convergent validity was tested through Pearson correlations with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist and financial well-being. One item of the PSS items was removed. The factor analysis of the PSS scale showed three factors that had an Eigenvalue over 1, showing that the items converged over a three-factor solution, explaining a total of 64.83% of the variance. The Cronbach’s alpha values were 0.838, suggesting a good internal consistency. The CFI was 0.895 and TLI was 0.877. A significantly positive correlation was found between the PSS scale and the Pediatric symptom checklist. No correlation was found between the financial well-being scale and the PSS scale. The PSS scale showed appropriate psychometric properties, with high internal consistency, good construct validity, and adequate concurrent validity, which makes it a short, valid, and efficient tool, valuable for the evaluation of the Parental Stress Scale among parents in Lebanon.