Parental burnout during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Abstract

Increased and long‐term parental stress related to one's parental role can lead to parental burnout. In the early phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic, families experienced intensified pressure due to the government‐initiated contact restrictions applied to prevent the spread of the virus in the population. This study investigates the risk factors and predictors of parental burnout in a large sample of parents (N = 1488) during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Norway. Demographic and psychosocial factors were assessed at two timepoints: at the beginning of the pandemic outbreak in March 2020 (T1) and at 3 months follow‐up (T2). A hierarchical regression analysis was applied to identify the factors that contribute to parental burnout at T2. Parental burnout was additionally explored across subgroups. Findings revealed that younger age was associated with more parental burnout. Concurrent (T2) use of unhelpful coping strategies, insomnia symptoms, parental stress, and less parental satisfaction was significantly associated with the presence of greater parental burnout (T2). Additionally, parental stress and satisfaction measured in the earliest phase of the pandemic (T1) were associated with parental burnout 3 months later (T2) over and above concurrent parental stress/satisfaction. Unemployed parents and individuals with a mental health condition were identified as subgroups with substantially heightened levels of parental burnout.

Parental Burnout During the Second Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Role of Parenting Stressors and Coparenting Support

“…It is important to note that parental age was negatively associated with parental burnout in this sample during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding is consistent with those from studies of parenting in the early stages of the pandemic ( Skjerdingstad et al, 2021 ; Sorkkila & Aunola, 2021 ; Woine et al, 2022 ). It could be that older age as a parent offered certain protective factors, such as increased parenting experience ( Woine et al, 2022 ), that helped parents cope with parenting stressors as pandemic-related changes continued into the second year.…”

“…Likewise, parents reported they felt more stressed and burned out in their role as a parent ( Le Vigouroux et al, 2022b ). This finding also lends support to other parenting studies conducted during the pandemic, which similarly found parental stress predicted parental burnout ( Skjerdingstad et al, 2021 ). The finding that parents experienced parenting demands and stressors during the pandemic that exceeded their resources and contributed to parental burnout is also consistent with family stress theory ( Patterson, 2002 ).…”

“…Future studies could identify risk factors contributing to parental burnout and explore the mechanisms through which they exert their influence. Several studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic have provided initial information to better understand sociodemographic differences in experiences of parental burnout ( Fontanesi et al, 2020 ; Le Vigouroux et al, 2022b ; Skjerdingstad et al, 2021 ). However, a study by Woine et al (2022) found that sociodemographic and situational variables (e.g., teleworking, homeschooling) explained a very small proportion of the variance in parental burnout.…”

“…A study conducted by Joyce (2022) in the United States of America during the first year of the pandemic found an association between parental stress and parental burnout. In a study conducted in Norway, parental stress significantly predicted parental burnout after controlling for insomnia, self-efficacy, parental satisfaction, metacognitions and unhelpful coping strategies ( Skjerdingstad et al, 2021 ). In addition to parental stress, the pandemic itself may have also introduced additional stress in the form of concerns for physical health, safety, and pandemic-related changes in family life.…”

Child emotional and behavioral difficulties and parent stress during COVID-19 lockdown in Sri Lankan families

“…Another important phenomenon during the COVID-19 outbreak is the so-called parental-related exhaustion, defined as feelings of being overextended and depleted of one’s emotional and physical resources. Exhaustion is a key aspect of parental burnout, which results from prolonged exposure to parental stress, which influences the psychological wellbeing of children [ 7 , 8 ].…”