Parenting Stress in US Immigrant Families: The Role of Social Support, Economic Stability and Immigration Status

Parenting in immigrant families is shaped by legal status, social support and economic conditions. Immigration-related stress may increase parenting stress, but the pathways and moderators of this link remain underexplored. We surveyed 318 legally present immigrant parents in the United States through a national Qualtrics panel in 2023. Guided by Acculturative Stress Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory, we tested mediation and moderated mediation models using structural equation modelling. Key measures included immigration stress, parenting stress, social support and economic self-sufficiency. Parents with temporary immigration status reported significantly more immigration stress than those with permanent or naturalised status. Immigration-related stress was a mediator of the relation between immigration status and parenting stress. Although social support was associated with lower overall parenting stress, it did not buffer against immigration-related stress. Men and those using government benefits reported heightened parenting stress, possibly due to provider pressure, stigma or hindrance in reaching support systems. Financial security did not predict parenting stress. The study reveals that legal vulnerability is a strong predictor of immigrant parents' stress. Programs must extend beyond individual supports to address the structural factors that affect families with temporary legal status.