Parental perception of child vulnerability and parental competence: The role of postnatal depression and parental stress in fathers and mothers

INTRODUCTION: Parents' perception that their child may be vulnerable to serious life-threatening illnesses can have negative effects on how they exercise their parenting. No studies have yet been carried out on parent´s perception of their child’s vulnerability, when the child has not suffered a severe illness. This study tries to analyze the relationship between parent´s perception of their children´s vulnerability and parental competence, and analyzes the mediating role of postnatal depression and parental stress. METHOD: The study was carried out on mothers and fathers of full-term infants who did not have any serious illnesses. A total of 965 people (385 fathers and 580 mothers) participated in the study. RESULTS: The results revealed an association between parental perception of their child’s vulnerability and parent’s perception of parental competence through depression and parental stress. However, this association was different for fathers and mothers. CONCLUSION: The variable of perception of child’s vulnerability was a relevant factor to understand parental competence.