Nov 17, 2020  |   2 minute read

Parenting Stress | PDH

Parenting Daily Hassles Scale (PDH)

Recommended frequency: Every 4 weeks

Summary

The Parenting Daily Hassle Scale (PDH) is a 20-item self-report measure that monitors how much parents/caregivers are affected by daily occurrences they may typically experience (e.g., “The kids demand that you entertain them or play with them.”). Caregivers can complete the scale based on their experiences with one or more children. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale indicating the extent each occurrence has been a burden for the caregiver. This measure is intended to help identify priority areas that warrant further discussion for caregivers, and is applicable for children ages 3 to 17.

Psychometric Properties

There is limited research on the PDH; however, the measure has been used by various populations in clinical and research settings.

Sources:

  1. http://www.socialworkerstoolbox.com/the-parenting-daily-hassle-scale/
  2. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2010.00585.x/abstract
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2245752
  4. https://www.jstor.org/stable/353007?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

The Scale

The statements below describe a lot of events that routinely occur in families with young children. These events sometimes make life difficult. Please read each item and select how much of a ‘hassle you feel that it has been for you during the past month.

If you have more than one child, these events can include any or all of your children.

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Scoring

The degree of ‘hassle’ severity is calculated by assigning scores 1-5 to responses ranging from low to high, respectively. The sum of all 20 items represents the overall burden as determined by the caregiver. Total scores range from 20-100, a higher score reflecting greater severity. The scale developers suggest that a score of 4 or more on any individual item is indicative of a problematic concern for the caregiver and an area recommended for further discussion. No cutoff score exists; although, a total score of 70 or more indicates that the caregiver may be experiencing significant burden.

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The measure has two subscales. Scores on these subscales can help identify which domain poses greater difficulty for the caregiver.

  • Challenging Behaviour (items 2, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 16).
  • Parenting Tasks (items 1, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14, 17, and 20).

Copyright Information

Crnic KA & Greenberg MT (1990) Minor parenting stresses with young children. Child Development. 61: 1628–1637.

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Computer displaying data points, used to monitor symptoms over time