KMAN Publication Inc. (KMANPUB) Applied Family Therapy Journal (AFTJ) 3041-8798 In Press 2026 10 01 Predicting Parental Psychological Distress from Child Behavioral Problems and Parenting Burden: The Moderating Role of Coparenting Support Predicting Parental Psychological Distress from Child Behavioral Problems and Parenting Burden: The Moderating Role of Coparenting Support 1 19 EN Journal Article 2026 08 09 <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><strong>Objective:</strong> This study aimed to predict parental psychological distress from child behavioral problems and parenting burden and to examine whether coparenting support moderated these associations among parents in Spain.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials:</strong> This quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 428 parents of children aged 6–16 years residing in Spain. Participants were recruited through schools and community-based family organizations using a multistage convenience sampling procedure. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), the parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form (PSI-SF), and the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, and moderation analysis with the PROCESS macro in SPSS. Continuous predictors were mean-centered before interaction terms were created, and moderation effects were evaluated using 5,000 bootstrap resamples with 95% confidence intervals.</p> <p><strong>Findings:</strong> Child behavioral problems significantly predicted higher parental psychological distress (B = 0.34, SE = 0.04, β = .29, p &lt; .001), while parenting burden showed the strongest positive association with distress (B = 0.14, SE = 0.01, β = .46, p &lt; .001). Coparenting support significantly predicted lower psychological distress (B = -1.53, SE = 0.34, β = -.17, p &lt; .001). The final hierarchical regression model explained 55.4% of the variance in parental psychological distress. Coparenting support significantly moderated the association between child behavioral problems and distress (B = -0.09, SE = 0.03, p = .001) and between parenting burden and distress (B = -0.04, SE = 0.01, p &lt; .001). The full moderation model explained 58.6% of the variance, indicating that both adverse associations became weaker as coparenting support increased.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Child behavioral problems and parenting burden are important predictors of parental psychological distress, whereas coparenting support functions as both a direct protective factor and a buffer that attenuates the psychological impact of parenting-related difficulties.</p> https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/aftj/article/download/6347/11833