Predictors of Parenting Stress in a National Matched Sample of Children With/Without Chronic Pain

Abstract Background Parents of children with chronic health conditions demonstrate elevated parenting stress. Literature has focused on how parenting behaviors amplify their child’s pain; less research has examined parents’ emotional needs. Objective Using national data (USA), this study examined parent and child factors that may influence parent stress. Method Analyses were conducted in a sample of parents of children with/without chronic pain ( N = 3080, M child age = 11.7, 55.6% female, 50.1% with pain). Results Results indicated lower parenting efficacy ( t = − 21.98, B = − 1.45, SE = 0.07, p < .001) and more severe child anxiety and depression symptoms ( ps < 0.001) each significantly predicted higher parenting stress. Social support and financial resources were not significant predictors. There was a significant main effect of chronic pain on parenting stress across models (parent efficacy: t = 3.77, p = .002, B = 0.27, SE = 0.07; social support: t = 6.24, p < .001, B = 0.47, SE = 0.07; financial resources: t = 6.27, p < .001, B = 0.48, SE = 0.08). Conclusions Parenting stress was higher for parents whose children had chronic pain, in children with higher anxiety and depression symptoms, and for parents with lower parenting efficacy.