An Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Pediatric Inventory for Parents: Short Form Among Caregivers of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder

PURPOSE: Pediatric caregiver stress specific to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with adverse outcomes, including reduced mental and physical well-being and family functioning. The Pediatric Inventory for Parents, short-form (PIP-SF), is a self-report measure of pediatric stress in caregivers of children with chronic health conditions. This study aims to fill a gap in the empirical literature by evaluating the psychometric properties of the PIP-SF within the previously excluded pediatric population of caregivers of children with ASD. METHODS: Participants were a national sample of 363 female caregivers of children diagnosed with ASD. They completed the PIP-SF and measures related to general stress, anxiety, gratitude, perceptions of child vulnerability, and ASD characteristics. RESULTS: The PIP-Frequency and PIP-Difficulty demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency. Concurrent and convergent validity were evidenced by statistically significant positive correlations between the PIP-SF and key scales. Supporting discriminant validity, the scales evidenced nonsignificant correlations with a scale measuring gratitude. Scores on both scales did not significantly differ between caregivers of younger versus older children; caregivers of children with higher ASD characteristics. reported statistically significantly higher PIP-SF scores than those with lower characteristics. A unidimensional model for both scales met criteria for good fit. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the current study provide preliminary evidence supporting sufficient validity and reliability of the PIP-SF among female caregivers of children with ASD.