Consequences of parental burnout: Its specific effect on child neglect and violence.

Abuse; Burn-out; Exhaustion; Maltreatment; Parent; Suicide; Adolescent; Adult; Aggression/psychology; Burnout, Psychological/psychology; Child; Child Abuse/psychology; Emotions; Family Conflict/psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Parenting/psychology; Parents/psychology; Violence/psychology; Young Adult; Aggression; Burnout, Psychological; Child Abuse; Family Conflict; Parenting; Parents; Violence; Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health; Developmental and Educational Psychology; Psychiatry and Mental Health

Abstract :

[en] 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 from one's children and a sense of ineffectiveness in one's parental role. This study aims to facilitate further identification of the consequences of parental burnout for the parents themselves, their spouses and their child(ren). In a sample of 1551 parents, we examined the relationship between parental burnout and seven possible consequences: escapism and suicidal thoughts, addictions, sleep disorders, marital conflicts, a partner estrangement mindset, and neglect and violence towards one's child(ren). We examined (1) to what extent parental and job burnout related to each of these possible consequences and (2) whether parental burnout is specifically related to neglectful and violent behaviour towards one's child(ren). The results suggest that parental burnout has a statistically similar effect to job burnout on addictions and sleep problems, a stronger effect on couples' conflicts and partner estrangement mindset and a specific effect on child-related outcomes (neglect and violence) and escape and suicidal ideation. These results emphasize the importance of accurately diagnosing this syndrome.

Disciplines :

Treatment & clinical psychology

Author, co-author :

Mikolajczak, Moïra; Université catholique de Louvain, Department of Psychology, Place Cardinal Mercier, 10, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Electronic address: Moira.mikolajczak@uclouvain.be

Brianda, Maria Elena ; Université catholique de Louvain, Department of Psychology

Avalosse, Hervé; Mutualité Chrétienne-Christelijke Mutualiteit, Research and Development (R&D) Department, Chaussée de Haecht, 579, 1030 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: herve.avalosse@mc.be

Roskam, Isabelle; Université catholique de Louvain, Department of Psychology, Place Cardinal Mercier, 10, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Electronic address: Isabelle.roskam@uclouvain.be

Language :

English

Title :

Consequences of parental burnout: Its specific effect on child neglect and violence.

Publication date :

June 2018

Journal title :

Child Abuse and Neglect

ISSN :

0145-2134

Publisher :

Elsevier Ltd, England

Volume :

Pages :

134 - 145

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0145213418301297?httpAccept=text/xml

Funders :

UCL - Université Catholique de Louvain

Funding text :

This study was funded by an FSR Research Grant from the Université catholique de Louvain . The funding source was not involved in the study design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, the writing of the report or the decision to submit the article for publication.

Available on ORBi :

since 21 January 2025

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