Parental stress is a psycho-social dimension of the parent-child relationship and is influenced by the context in which the relationship is experienced. Separa-tion can affect the functionality/dysfunctionality of parenting skills and the level and quality of perceived stress. The main goal of the present study is to investiga-te the possible predictive effect of parental stress perceived during judicial sepa-ration on parental behaviors of risk and/or psychological prejudice. On a sample of 22 parental couples involved in psychological expert witness, the PSI (Paren-ting Stress Index; Abidin, 1986) was administered in order to analyze parental stress level that takes into account the representation that the parent has of his/her child and of the relationship with him/her. The results reported in the PSI will be analyzed in relation to the evaluation of parental skills conducted with the APS-I tool (Assessment of Parental Skills Interview; Camerini et al., 2007). The results show how high parental stress, especially when perceived in the relation-ship with the child (PCDI scale), tends to assume a predictive effect of risk of emotional abuse and/or emotional and psychological neglect. Parental stress can be an interesting key to understanding dynamics between parents and children and parenting skills, useful both from a clinical point of view and in expert wit-ness in court.
Keywords: Parental conflict, parental stress, expert witness, parenting skills.
Daniela Pajardi, Monia Vagni, Valeria Giostra, Viviana La Spada, Tiziana Maiorano, Stress and parenting skills in judicial separation. Analysis of protective and risk factors in parental relationships in "RICERCHE DI PSICOLOGIA " 4/2018, pp. 693-712, DOI:10.3280/RIP2018-004009