The Brief COPE: Measurement Invariance and Psychometric Properties among Community and At-Risk Portuguese Parents

Cristina Nunes, Javier Pérez-Padilla, Cátia Martins, Pedro Pechorro, Lara Ayala-Nunes and Laura I. Ferreira
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Cristina Nunes: Psychology Research Centre (CIP) & Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Javier Pérez-Padilla: Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences, University of Jaen & Research Group (HUM604) Development of Lifestyles in the Life Cycle and Health Promotion of University of Huelva, Campus de las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Cátia Martins: Psychology Research Centre (CIP) & Universidade do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Pedro Pechorro: School of Psychology, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Lara Ayala-Nunes: Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
Laura I. Ferreira: Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: Parenting generally brings about high internal and external demands, which can be perceived as stressful when they exceed families’ resources. When faced with such stressors, parents need to deploy several adaptive strategies to successfully overcome these challenges. One of such strategies is coping, an important cognitive and behavioural skill. In this study, we intended to examine the psychometric properties of Carver’s (1997) Brief COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced), extending its cross-cultural validity among a Portuguese sample of community and at-risk parents. The sample comprised community ( n = 153) and at-risk ( n = 116) parents who completed the brief COPE, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales and the Parenting Stress Index—Short Form. Confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, cross sample invariance, convergent and discriminant validity were analysed. Data from the confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the 14-factor model obtained the best fit. The results provided evidence that the Brief COPE is a psychometrically sound instrument that shows measurement invariance across samples and good reliability. Our findings demonstrated that the Portuguese version of brief COPE is a useful, time-efficient tool for both practitioners and researchers who need to assess coping strategies, a relevant construct in family context.

Keywords: Brief COPE; coping; parenting; validation; psychometry; family assessment; instrumental study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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