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Risk factor model for parental burnout. The standardized paths are shown, meaning for example that when family dysfunctioning goes up by 1 standard deviation, parental burnout goes up by .56 standard deviations. All paths are significant at p < .001
Source publication
Parental burnout is a specific syndrome resulting from enduring exposure to chronic parenting stress. It encompasses three dimensions: an overwhelming exhaustion related to one’s parental role, an emotional distancing with one’s children and a sense of ineffectiveness in one’s parental role. This study aims to facilitate further identification of a...
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Purpose
Parental burnout is a psychological syndrome that develops in response to the chronic stressors in one’s role as a parent. It can be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of both parents and children and has been empirically proven to result in more negative parenting behaviours. Based on recent research, parental burnout is more prevalen...
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Citations
... The emergence of parental burnout is part of a historical evolution in the concept of parenthood (2) and is related to the place given to children in our societies (3). PBO is known to impact parents' physical health (e.g., sleep disorders, physiological complaints), mental health (e.g., addictive behaviors, suicidal ideation), and well-being (e.g., reduced psychological well-being, low sense of life satisfaction) (4,5). A combination of socio-economic, family, and/or personal characteristics is associated with PBO (6). ...
... At the individual level, authors have shown that a tendency toward self and socially prescribed perfectionism (9) and low emotional intelligence scores (10) are associated with a higher risk of PBO. At the family level, parenting a child with specific needs (chronic illness, disability, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, emotional difficulties) increases the risk of developing PBO (4,11). ...
... Regarding the quality of social and family relationships, studies have shown that parental exhaustion affects romantic relationships, particularly by causing partner estrangement or increasing tensions and conflicts (4,12), creates role confusion, and discourages asking for or receiving social support from family and friends (5,13). ...
Introduction
Parental burnout, known as a state of physical and psychological exhaustion, results in an imbalance between the parent’s perceived stressors in relation to parenting, and the resources available to the parent to cope with such stressors. The causes and consequences of parental burnout for the parents themselves have been studied from the parents’ point of view, but the perception of parents regarding the impact of parental burnout on the parent-child relationship has not yet been documented.
Methods
We conducted a qualitative study through semi-structured interviews with exhausted parents (n=21). We aimed to better understand their general interactions with their children, as well as the way they communicate with them about their state of exhaustion, knowing that dealing with parental suffering can have a long-term impact on the child.
Results
Our results reveal that exhausted parents experience a widespread loss of control in all areas of their lives, particularly in their interaction with their children, which generates feelings of guilt and shame. Communicating their experience to their children can create various difficulties for both parents and children. This may complicate the process of seeking help and reinforce the feeling of isolation.
Discussion
An emerging result from our analysis leads us to identify a need for the parents to be heard and validated in their suffering who took part in this research.
... Associations between PB and the psychological variables were in line with an extensive body of literature conducted prior and during the pandemic, specifically regarding parental stress (e.g., Roskam et al., 2021;Skjerdingstad et al., 2021), psychological morbidity (e.g., Johnson et al., 2021;Sánchez-Rodríguez et al., 2019), and family functioning (e.g., Chen et al., 2022;Mikolajczak et al., 2017). ...
Parental burnout (PB) is characterised by parental exhaustion resulting from exposure to chronic parental stress. Due to the social and economic changes resulting from the COVID‐19 pandemic that impacted families, there is a significant scientific interest in identifying factors related to PB within the pandemic context. This study aimed to analyse the relationships between parental stress (parental concerns, parental satisfaction, lack of control, and fears and anxieties), family functioning, psychological morbidity (anxiety and depression), and burnout in parents. The sample consisted of 253 parents, legal guardians or primary caregivers of children aged between 0 and 6 years. Results revealed that the child's age, psychological morbidity (depression), and parental stress were significant predictors of PB. Anxiety and family functioning played a moderating role in the relationship between parental satisfaction and PB. According to the results, intervention programs should focus on anxiety symptoms and family functioning to mitigate the effects of parental stress on PB.
... Along with examining the role of different child and family characteristics, the role of parental stress should be considered when examining the profiles of parental perceptions of their child's school adjustment during the pandemic. This is because previous literature has shown that different child and family characteristics, such as the younger age of a child or their need for special education as well as the higher number of children and poorer financial situation in the family, have been related to higher parental stress (e.g., van Bakel et al., 2022;Mikolajczak et al., 2018;Sorkkila et al., 2023). For example, a Finnish study by Upadyaya and Salmela-Aro (2021) utilized a person-oriented approach to identify parental burnout profiles during the pandemic. ...
The present study examined the profiles of parental perceptions of their child’s school adjustment in terms of learning loss and school well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland. Furthermore, the extent to which the profiles differed with respect to the different children and their family characteristics, as well as their parents’ stress about their child’s schooling, were examined. Parents ( N = 26,313) completed a questionnaire in spring 2021 concerning parental stress and their children’s schooling. The five-profile solution was identified using latent profile analysis: (1) slightly-higher-than-average-school-adjustment ( n = 8198, 31.2%); (2) high-school-adjustment ( n = 3017, 11.5%); (3) slightly-lower-than-average-school-adjustment ( n = 5025, 19.1%); (4) low-school-adjustment ( n = 6777, 25.7%); and (5) mixed-school-adjustment ( n = 3296, 12.5%). The low-school-adjustment profile was overrepresented among parents of boys, older children, and children with special education needs as well as among parents with lower education levels, higher numbers of children, and in single-parent households. In addition, the results showed that parental stress about their child’s schooling was associated with their perceptions of their child’s school adjustment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the results demonstrate that parents’ views of their children’s school adjustment varied widely during the COVID-19 pandemic. At schools, particular attention should be given to at-risk families (e.g., families with low education levels and children with special education needs) in which children may be prone to learning loss and low well-being due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
... On the one hand, as mentioned above, parental burnout is linked with PCS (see Chung et al., 2020;Griffith, 2022). On the other hand, research has shown that parental burnout impacts children's behaviors because it leads to child neglect and violent behaviors toward children (Mikolajczak et al., 2018a(Mikolajczak et al., , 2018b(Mikolajczak et al., , 2019. The association between parental burnout and children's behavior problems can be explained by the family system theory proposed by Bowen (1913Bowen ( -1990 as well. ...
... The data analysis from our current study and previous research evidence supports our hypothesis that parental burnout correlates with children's behavior problems. Furthermore, according to Mikolajczak et al. (2018aMikolajczak et al. ( , 2018b, parental burnout is influenced by external factors such as low income or financial Note. CI = confidence interval; LL = lower limit; UL = upper limit. ...
... obstacles, being unemployed, lack of positive parenting practices, and parental mental health status. Mikolajczak et al. (2018aMikolajczak et al. ( , 2018b called them "risks," which raise parental stress, contrasting with "resources"-factors easing parental stress. When there is an imbalance between "risks" and "resources" in which risks outweigh resources, parental burnout happens as a result. ...
Coronavirus has caused a global pandemic, and its adverse effects have spread to both adults and children. This study explores the mediating role of parental burnout in the relationship between parents' COVID-19 stress (PCS) and children's behavior problems and whether this mediating process is moderated by parenting behaviors. Participants included 692 Vietnamese parents (M age = 36.82, SD = 5.548 years) selected through an online survey. Participants completed questionnaires including demographic information, PCS, parental burnout, parenting behaviors, and children and youth's behavior problems. The main findings include: (a) PCS had no direct association with children and youth's behavior problems; (b) parental burnout played a mediating role in the relationship between PCS and children and youth's behavior problems; (c) the direct association of PCS with parental burnout was moderated by parenting behaviors. Findings from this study showed that PCS did not affect parental burnout in families with highly positive parental support. In contrast, in families with highly negative parental behavioral control, COVID-19 stress positively correlated with parental burnout. This study's results have implications for the development of interventions in family settings during the uncertain days of the COVID-19 pandemic or other contexts that might happen in the future and that pose similar challenges in order to improve the mental health of parents and children.
... Parents' negative beliefs and experiences surrounding the parenting role have been linked to greater conflict within the family. Mikolajczak et al. (2017) found that various negative aspects of one's parenting self-concept (e.g., low positive parenting, low self-efficacy beliefs, and role restriction) were significantly related to family dysfunction (e.g., exposure to conflict, co-parental disagreement, marital dissatisfaction, and family disorganization) and that these were independently related to parental burnout. Studies have also demonstrated factors at several ecological levels that may be associated with the use of harsh parenting practices, such as the behavior and temperament of one's own child, economic insecurity, neighborhood disorder, parental affective symptoms, and one's own negative beliefs about parenting (Barajas-Gonzalez & Brooks-Gunn, 2014; Barnett et al., 2010;Burchinal et al., 2010;Conrad et al., 2019;Fite et al., 2006;Huh et al., 2006). ...
... In another study, although only demonstrated in mothers, maternal cognitions, or types and patterns of parental thought, remained largely stable from birth to five months (Winstanley et al., 2014). Additionally, less positive parenting, low parenting self-efficacy beliefs, and greater parental role restriction were associated with parental burnout, suggesting that various negative aspects of parenting may reinforce negative parenting experiences (Mikolajczak et al., 2017). Finally, in assessing mothers' parenting cognitions over a three-year period, it was found that maternal cognitions were stable across time (Bornstein et al., 2018). ...
The current study examined the associations among negative beliefs about parenting, harsh parenting, and child externalizing behavior using a prospective longitudinal design. We assessed the influence of negative beliefs about parenting before becoming a parent on later family processes (e.g., harsh parenting) in early childhood, and child outcomes (e.g., externalizing behavior) across early childhood. The study included 249 target participants followed from adolescence to adulthood, after becoming a parent. Negative beliefs about parenting was assessed when the target was 18 years old (Time 1), negative beliefs about parenting, harsh parenting, and child externalizing behavior were assessed when the child was two to four (Time 2), and negative beliefs about parenting and child externalizing behavior were assessed again when the child was three to five years old (Time 3). Results showed negative beliefs about parenting before becoming a parent (Time 1) was related to harsh parenting (Time 2), which was related to child externalizing at Time 2, which was associated with child externalizing at Time 3. Negative beliefs about parenting at Time 1 was also related to negative beliefs at Time 2, which was associated with child externalizing at Time 2, then to child externalizing at Time 3. Finally, negative beliefs about parenting was stable from Time 1 to Time 3. In sum, negative beliefs about parenting affected parenting behaviors distally and child behaviors proximally. These findings have program and policy implications that suggest beliefs held in late adolescence may have an impact on later family processes and future child outcomes.
... Having a higher number of children increases the risk of parental burnout (Gerain & Zech, 2018). Further, the nature of employment (full-time/ part-time or selfemployed) appears to be a predicting factor (Mikolajczak et al., 2018a). Working part-time or more than 9 hours a day is capable of depleting one's emotional and temporal resources when handling child-related issues (Zick & Bryant 1996). ...
... Further, personality traits (neuroticism, conscientiousness and agreeableness) have a significant impact on parental burnout (Mikolajczak et al., 2018a;Wang et al., 2023). Neuroticism which is characterized by frequent anxieties and increased emotional instability, as well as recurrent and vigorous adverse consequences (Finch et al., 2012) results in an overbearing, overly protective, and, at times, harsh parenting style. ...
... Prinzie et al. (2009) stated that parents high on conscientiousness follow childrearing norms and thus create a more ordered and cohesive atmosphere for their children. In addition, agreeableness characterized by friendly, warm, loving and empathic behaviours was reported as having a negative correlation with parental burnout (Mikolajczak et al., 2018a). Thus, parents high on agreeableness tend to make positive justifications about their children's behaviours and can recognize and react appropriately to their children's needs (Prinzie et al., 2009). ...
Parental burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, detachment, and a sense of ineffectiveness, has emerged as a significant concern impacting the well-being of mothers worldwide. This study aims to explore the prevalence, risk factors, and protective factors associated with parental burnout among mothers in the Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A sample of 357 mothers residing in the Ibadan Metropolis were conveniently selected and participated in the study by responding to the nine validated scales and demographic questions which assessed all the variables of interest. The findings reveal a 7% prevalence of parental burnout among mothers in the Ibadan Metropolis. Factors such as personality (neuroticism, conscientiousness and agreeableness), low emotional intelligence, and work status predicted or served as risk factors. On the other hand, resilience, marital satisfaction, and parental self-efficacy were significant protective factors mitigating the risk of burnout among mothers. The study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and the importance of raising awareness about burnout, promoting self-care practices, fostering social support networks, and implementing family-friendly policies in workplaces. The findings can guide policymakers, healthcare professionals, and community organizations in developing evidence-based interventions to support and empower mothers, ultimately enhancing their well-being and the overall quality of family life. Keywords: Parental Burnout, Mothers, Risk and Protective factors
... This could explain why, in research prior to the pandemic, paid work activity had been established as a protective factor against parental stress. Nevertheless, the results of this study are in line those reported by Mikolajczak et al. (2018b) in their study on the risk factors for parental burnout. These authors point out that sociodemographic factors, despite playing a role and possibly amplifying other risk factors for parental exhaustion, are less influential than parental characteristics, parenting factors, and family functioning. ...
Under usual circumstances, without a global pandemic, numerous parents might encounter stress associated with their roles as caregivers. However, with the added impact of the health crisis and the widespread adoption of lockdown measures, family routines were disrupted as many parents found themselves spending more time at home. Most caregivers had to juggle remote work while simultaneously providing care for their children. This situation has raised concerns about the potential for parental burnout. The objective of this study was to describe parental burnout in mothers and fathers during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Chile and analyze its relationship with possible risk factors such as days in quarantine, perceived impact of COVID-19 on parenting, hours dedicated to weekly paid work, and caregivers’ perception of the need for care of their children. Furthermore, we sought to describe the relationship between parental burnout and coparental cooperation, evaluating the latter as a possible protective factor. An online cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample consisted of 599 people (78.5% mothers) over 18 years old who live in Chile with at least one child. Through a quantitative methodology and using R, multiple regression models were performed with predictive modeling to contrast the hypotheses. The results indicate that the variables related to lockdown, such as days in quarantine and level of involvement of fathers and mothers in parenting due to the pandemic, predict parental burnout. Caregivers’ perception of the need for care of their children also has a significant impact on this phenomenon. In addition, mothers have higher levels of exhaustion than fathers. The number of hours of paid work does not predict parental burnout. Coparenting cooperation in this context can represent a protective factor against chronic stress.
... However, recent research on parental burnout has shifted from the antecedents to the consequences of parental burnout, particularly its negative effects on psychological adjustment in children. It has been found that parental burnout leads to mental health problems and psychological maladjustment in children, such as anxiety, temper tantrums, learning fatigue, crying, and social withdrawal, affecting their adjustment to the school environment (Griffith 2022;Mikolajczak et al. 2018b). ...
... Furthermore, existing research has mainly focused on the effect of parental burnout on the problem behaviors of children's psychological adjustment, ignoring other key indicators, such as prosocial behavior (Chen et al. 2022;Yuan et al. 2022). This limitation has led to mixed results regarding the association between parental burnout and children's psychological adjustment (Griffith 2022;Mikolajczak et al. 2018b). Therefore, it is necessary to further examine the impact of parental burnout on psychological adjustment in children with DD and explore the underlying mechanisms. ...
... With the development of the social economy, the problem of parenting burnout has attracted more and more attention from academic circles. According to the international parenting burnout survey, parenting burnout is widespread around the world, ranging from about 1% to 8% [1,2]. Empirical research shows that parenting burnout is related to various adverse consequences. ...
... Zhou et al. [36] analyzed data from 283 pairs of parents in China using a subjectobject reciprocity model in 2023 and found that co-parenting by each parent significantly and negatively predicted their respective parenting burnout, while Qiao et al. [37] found through a questionnaire survey of mothers of 1164 children in Guangdong Province, China (Mage = 4.26 ± 0.85) that co-parenting significantly and negatively affected parenting burnout. Equation (1) in the present study was significant overall, indicating that coparenting negatively predicted parenting burnout; therefore, the findings of these two studies were consistent. Parents are more likely to be involved in their children's parenting process when they hold a consensus view on parenting. ...
Adolescence has always been regarded as a period of rapid psychological and behavioral change. Adolescents are subject to more difficult behaviors, and those difficult behaviors have a great impact on co-parenting and parenting burnout. In order to reveal the relationship between these factors, this study investigated the mediating effect of difficult adolescent behaviors on that relationship by constructing a theoretical model and examined the moderating effect of family functioning. In order to provide a scientific basis for preventing and intervening in adolescents’ problematic behaviors and improving parents’ parenting burnout, we conducted a study on the parents of 1638 teenagers in a junior high school in Huanggang City, China in May 2023, with a questionnaire filled out by the parents. The research tools included a parenting burnout questionnaire, Parental collaborative parenting Scale (PPCR), Adolescent Strengths and Difficult Behaviors Questionnaire (Parental Version), Family Function Scale, etc. An independent sample t test and ANOVA test were used to analyze whether there are certain demographic variables in parenting burnout, and SPSS27.0 was used for descriptive statistics, reliability and validity tests, correlation analysis and common method deviation tests. The adjusted mediation model was tested by using the SPSS macro program Process4.0. Results: The variance in the explanatory capacity of the largest factor in this study was 21.955%, which did not exceed the critical value of 40%, so there was no obvious common method deviation in the data of this study. The independent sample t test and ANOVA test showed that there are certain differences in parental rearing burnout dependent on parental gender, the main caregivers, family economic income and demographic variables. The results of the adjusted mediation model test by Process4.0 show the following: (1) Adolescent difficult behavior plays an intermediary role between parental collaborative parenting and parenting burnout; (2) the indirect effect of collaborative parenting on parenting burnout through adolescents’ problematic behaviors is regulated by family functions; (3) the relationship between adolescent difficult behavior and parenting burnout is regulated by family function; (4) the direct influence of collaborative parenting on parenting burnout is also regulated by family function. Conclusion: Adolescents’ difficult behavior partially mediates the influence of parents’ collaborative parenting on parenting burnout. In addition, family function not only mediates the front and back ends of mediation, but also mediates the direct influence of collaborative parenting on parenting burnout. These findings are instructive for improving family parenting problems and promoting adolescent development. The results of this study may be helpful in enhancing parents’ awareness of parenting of adolescents in China, which will provide reference for some teachers in China to understand adolescent behavior. At the same time, the results may provide new enlightenment for mental health professionals and enable them to fully understand the parenting contradictions between parents and adolescents in China.
... Parenting plays a fundamental role in children's development [3]. A positive parenting style can yield favorable developmental results, including the cultivation of healthy parentchild relationships, fostering a warm and loving family environment, and enhancing parental self-efficacy [4]. Conversely, embracing a negative parenting style could lead to detrimental consequences, as such parenting behaviors are associated with the development of strained parent-child relationships [5]. ...
Research on parental burnout has focused more on its antecedents than on its consequences. Burned-out parents may experience a series of behavioral changes, negatively affecting their children’s physical and mental development. This study examined the effects of primary caregivers’ parental burnout on adolescents’ development and the mediating role of negative parenting styles. This study used a time-lagged design, and data were collected at three different time points. Adolescents were asked to identify their primary caregivers, and parents were asked whether they were the primary caregivers of their children. Thereafter, paired data from the children and primary caregivers were collected. A total of 317 junior middle school students (178 boys, Mage = 14.20 ± 0.8 years) and primary caregivers (71 fathers, Mage = 42.20 ± 4.53 years) from Henan province participated. Primary caregivers’ parental burnout was positively associated with negative parenting styles, and negative parenting styles mediated the relationship between parental burnout and adolescent development. From the perspective of prevention-focused interventions, it is necessary to focus on preventing the occurrence of parental burnout. Further, parents should try to avoid using abusive behaviors toward their children and neglecting them.
