The stepparent role has been identified with chronic strain throughout the literature. Although various aspects of role strain have been anecdotally reported, its specific nature and most problematic aspects for stepparents have not been examined empirically. This article reports the initial phases in the development of an instrument that measures the strain thought to be integral to the stepparent role. Descriptive findings point to the importance of role strain in informing our knowledge of and service to stepfamilies.
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