Factors Predicting Maternal Stress in Mothers with Infants

Maternal stress has been linked to psychological well-being and a greater likelihood of poor ad-justment for both mother and child. Furthermore, higher levels of stress were predicted for mothers with a perception of limited partner support and/or low frustration tolerance. Sixty-one mothers of infants that were contacted via mail completed the Survey of Personal Beliefs (SPB; Kassinove, 1986), the Parenting Stress Index (PSI; Abidin, 1983), and a measure of partner support. A simul-taneous regression analysis found that limited partner support and low frustration tolerance, when taken together, significantly predict maternal stress, although low frustration tolerance accounted for most of the variance found in a stepwise prediction method. Thus, these variables should be emphasized in cognitive-behavioral interventions aimed at reducing maternal stress in mothers of infants. Parenting stress significantly impacts both a child’s emotional and behavioral development as well as the par-ent’s well-being, particularly during the early years, when young children spend the majority of time interacting with parents at home (Abidin, 1995). Specifically, research has shown that maternal stress has been linked to psychological health, potential for abuse, and a greater likelihood of poor adjustment for both parent and child (Walker, 2002). Pre-vious research in the area of parental stress suggests that parents with more irrational beliefs and a perception of lim-ited partner support have higher levels of emotional stres