Parental Stress Associated with International Migration Processes: A Systematic Review

The aim of this systematic review was to analyze scientific articles about the Parental Stress (PS) construct associated with people in international migration processes. Searches were carried out in seven databases: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, VHL Portal, MEDLINE/CINAHL, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, considering publications between 2012-2021. Initially, 2193 documents were found and after the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 articles were analyzed according their theoretical-methodological aspects and main Parental Stress results. The critical appraisal of the studies indicates high methodological quality of the articles, since most of them (n = 12) got from 10 to 12 points in the 12 scale-score evaluation criteria. There was a predominance of articles that investigated the relationship between PS and social support, acculturative guidelines, parent-child relationship, mental health of caregivers, and interventions to reduce PS in caregivers. We discuss the dimensions of social support as protective factors for families who are in international migration process. The evidences suggest that government policies and interventions are necessary to mitigate psychosocial impacts on these populations.