The Mediating Role of Parental Self-Efficacy in the Relationship Between Parenting Stress and Coparenting

Parenting stress is a critical factor influencing family dynamics, often undermining the quality of coparenting. Exploring the mechanisms through which parenting stress impacts coparenting and the potential mediating role of parental self-efficacy is essential for developing effective family-based interventions. This study aims to examine the mediating role of parental self-efficacy in the relationship between parenting stress and coparenting. The sample consisted of 240 parents (79.6% female) aged 25–58 (M = 36.5). Participants completed the Parenting Stress scale, the Berkeley Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Coparenting Scale. Parenting stress showed a significant negative association with both coparenting quality and parenting self-efficacy. Furthermore, parenting self-efficacy was found to mediate the association between parenting stress and coparenting. These results highlight the important role of parents’ self-efficacy in influencing how stress influences coparenting dynamics. Strengthening parents’ confidence in their parenting abilities may help buffer the harmful effects of stress and foster more cooperative, supportive coparenting practices.