Examining the Effects of Parenting Support on Discipline Strategies and the Mediating Roles of Parenting Stress and Parental Efficacy in American Indian Families

Abstract

The associations between parenting support and discipline strategies were examined in a sample of American Indian families in Oklahoma. The mediating roles of parenting stress and parental efficacy were also examined. Forty-six parents with children aged 6-12 years participated. Results were mixed for the impact of parenting support on other parenting aspects. Parenting stress and parental efficacy were not significant mediators in the link between parenting stress and discipline strategies. However, exploratory analyses revealed parenting stress to mediate the association between family resources and discipline strategies. Specifically, fewer family resources were associated with higher parenting stress, which in turn is associated with higher use of ineffective discipline strategies. Implications of the results are discussed, including clinical implications and utility of the measures used in this study.