Background: Postnatal bonding constitutes a major process during the postpartum period, and there is evidence that bonding difficulties have negative consequences for parents’ mental health and the child’s development. However, the conceptualization of postnatal bonding presents inconsistencies, as well as problems in having instruments that encompasses the father figure. The objective was to adapt the maternal postnatal attachment scale (MPAS) and the paternal postnatal attachment scale (PPAS) to Spanish, to evaluate its validity and reliability and to analyze the construct dimensionality of both questionnaires from a gender perspective. Methods: Instrumental design. In 2016–2017, a sample of 571 mothers and 376 fathers, with children between 6 and 11 months of age, responded to the Spanish version of MPAS and PPAS, respectively. After a process of translation-back-translation of the instrument, we empirically analyzed the internal consistency (Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (CR)) construct and concurrent validity (with regard to postpartum depression and dyadic adjustment). Additionally, we studied the instrument’s content validity, using the Delphi methodology; and the differential analysis in both samples (mothers and fathers), examining the invariance. Results: A short version of 15 items was obtained, common for mothers and fathers. The results of the Delphi methodology showed a 100% inter-judge agreement, highlighting the absence of differences in the adequacy of the items as a function of the parents’ gender. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of three original factors proposed by the authors. The global Cronbach alpha coefficients in the total sample were adequate (mothers, 0.70; fathers, 0.78); and Cronbach alpha of each dimension in the case of mothers was 0.50 (Quality of bonding), 0.55 (Absence of hostility), and 0.60 (Pleasure in interaction); in the case of fathers, it was respectively 0.54, 0.64, and 0.72. CR of each dimension were: quality of bonding, 0.74 in mothers and 0.80 in fathers; absence of hostility, 0.93 in mothers and 0.94 in fathers; pleasure in interaction, 0.83 in mothers and 0.90 in fathers. With regard to the analysis of group invariance, the results revealed empirical evidence of configural and metric invariance. Concurrent validity showed moderate negative correlations for postnatal depression (mothers, r = −0.41, p < 0.001; fathers, r = −0.38, p < 0.001), and positive correlations for dyadic adjustment (mothers, r = 0.39, p < 0.001; fathers, r = 0.44, p < 0.001). Discussion: A new version of the instrument was generated, with good psychometric properties, adequate for use both with mothers and with fathers. This scale helps evaluate postnatal maternal and paternal bonding, allowing to study it from within the family system, a necessary step forward to advance perinatal mental health.

The aim of this study was to obtain a culturally adapted Spanish version of the American Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES IV). For this purpose, rigorous procedures were used in the retro-translation process and in the subsequent empirical study. The sampling consisted of 455 university students and a balanced scale of 13 items (α = .87) was obtained; a scale that can be used independently. Moreover, the study was rounded off with a 6-factor model that includes 2 central scales—cohesion and adaptability—and 4 extreme scales—chaotic, rigid, disengaged, and enmeshed—each one with 4 items. All the scales proved to have good psychometric qualities and suitable convergent, concurrent, and content validity, yet it will be necessary to go more deeply into the rigid scale. The construct validity was supported by a confirmatory factorial analysis with sound fit indexes (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.046, normed fit index [NFI] = 0.94, the comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.97, and the goodness-of-fit index [GFI] = 0.92). In its Spanish version, FACES IV is a useful instrument for family assessment, although further studies need to be carried out so as to confirm the results obtained.

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. 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. 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. The variable of perception of child’s vulnerability was a relevant factor to understand parental competence.

Family communication is central to adjusted family functioning, which may be of special relevance to limit the impact of divorce on children. The present study aims to examine positive family communication as a facilitator of family adaptation to divorce, its impact on children’s maladjustment, and the role of coparenting. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 309 parents with high interparental-conflict. The expected model was tested using path analysis. We observed that: 1) positive family communication was related to parents’ greater psychological adjustment to the divorce and fewer socioeconomic consequences of the divorce on children and indirectly to children’s lower anxiety/depression and aggressiveness; 2) supportive coparenting was a protective factor against socioeconomic consequences, but a risk factor in situations of high conflict. These results highlight positive family communication in family adaptation and children’s well-being. Furthermore, findings differentiate the divorce conditions in which coparenting may or may not be appropriate.