Objective
The links between parenting and mental health are a major topic of research in psychiatry. Research on the correlates of dysfunctional or inadequate parenting relies on the availability of valid and reliable measures of parental style. Our main aim was to develop and validate the Italian version of the Measure Of Parental Style (MOPS). A secondary aim was to test the reliability of an Italian version of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) that was specifically designed for this study.
Methods
An Italian version of the MOPS and PBI was produced using multiple independent bilingual translators. The questionnaires were administered to a non-clinical sample of adults (N = 154). A sub-sample (N = 73) completed the instruments again one month later.
Results
As expected, MOPS maternal and paternal Indifference were moderately to highly negatively correlated with PBI maternal and paternal Care, respectively. Also, MOPS Overcontrol was moderately to highly correlated with PBI maternal and paternal Overprotection, respectively. Moreover, MOPS maternal and paternal Abuse displayed a moderate negative correlation with PBI maternal and paternal Care, and a small though significant correlation with PBI maternal and paternal Overprotection. Furthermore, the MOPS and the PBI subscales were found to be reliable in terms of internal consistency and absolute as well as relative stability.
Conclusions
Given their satisfactory psychometric properties, the MOPS and PBI hold promise for clinicians and researchers interested in the links between quality of parenting and mental health.