Reappraisal, social support, and parental burnout.

OBJECTIVES: Parental burnout is a prevalent condition that affects parents' functioning and health. While various protective factors have been examined, little is known about their interplay. In the current study, we examined the joint effect of two protective factors against parental burnout (one external-social support and one internal-cognitive reappraisal). We were specifically interested in whether the presence of one factor could compensate for the lack of the other. METHODS: To address this question, 1835 participants were drawn from five countries: United States, Poland, Peru, Turkey and Belgium. RESULTS: Results suggested that both social support and cognitive reappraisal were associated with lower parental burnout. An interaction was also found between the resource factors, such that the presence of cognitive reappraisal compensated for the absence of social support. CONCLUSIONS: These findings point to ways in which parental burnout could be reduced, especially in situations where social support is not easily available.

Emotion regulation during the COVID-19 pandemic: risk and resilience factors for parental burnout (IIPB).

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families' lives around the world. The measures used to contain transmission have led to increased stress and put parents at increased risk for parental burnout (PB). The aim of the current study was to examine the association between COVID-related parental stress and PB, and to test whether emotion regulation (ER) moderated this association. We hypothesised that rumination, which is a generally maladaptive ER strategy, would act as a risk factor. In comparison, we hypothesised that reappraisal, which is a generally adaptive ER strategy, would act as a resilience factor. We assessed 8225 parents from 22 countries using an on-line survey, and focused on general stress and parenting stress. These stressors were associated with greater PB. Importantly, parental ER moderated these associations; rumination strengthened the link between stress-related variables and PB, whereas reappraisal weakened it. This study emphasises the negative effect COVID-19 has on parents and highlights key ER risk and resilience factors.

Burnout across boundaries: Can parental burnout directly or indirectly influence work outcomes?

Burnout, while historically considered a work-related condition, can be associated with parenting where it can have direct impacts upon parental outcomes and one's personal resources such as mental health. However, little is known about the domain-incongruent effects of burnout and thus whether parental burnout can manifest within the workplace. The current study uses longitudinal data collected from 499 parents over three intervals across an 8-month period to explore two possible mechanisms. Firstly, a direct relationship is explored by considering whether parental burnout provides incremental validity above job burnout in the prediction of three work outcomes: job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and counterproductive work behaviors. Secondly, it is explored whether depression mediates the relationship between parental burnout and work outcomes. Findings suggest parental burnout may have limited impacts upon work outcomes, providing the impetus for a new direction of research to better understand whether or how burnout in one domain of life can influence the outcomes in other life domains. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02687-3.

The role of cognitive appraisals in parental burnout: a preliminary analysis during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Counter-intuitively, sociodemographic characteristics account for a small proportion of explained variance in parental burnout. The present study conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic asks whether (i) sociodemographic characteristics are more predictive of parental burnout than usual in a situation of lockdown, (ii) situational factors, that is, the specific restrictive living conditions inherent in the context of lockdown, predict parental burnout better than sociodemographic characteristics do, and (iii) the impact of both sociodemographic and situational factors is moderated or mediated by the parents' subjective perception of the impact that the health crisis has had on their parenting circumstances. Results show that, within the context of lockdown, both sociodemographic and situational factors explain a negligible proportion of variance in parental burnout. By contrast, parents' cognitive appraisals of their parenthood within the context of the health crisis were found to play both a crucial mediating and moderating role in the prediction of parental burnout.

[Consequences of parental burnout on the parent and the children]. / Conséquences du burn-out parental sur le parent et les enfants.

Parental burnout is a serious disorder not only because of its prevalence, but also and especially because of the nature and extent of its repercussions. It is therefore necessary to review the state of the art in terms of its consequences, based on the scientific literature to date. This is necessary in order to describe precisely the psychological, behavioural and physiological consequences for the parent concerned, as well as the already documented consequences for the children.

Parental burnout: Moving the focus from children to parents.

Parental burnout (PB)-a condition characterized by intense exhaustion related to parenting, emotional distancing from one's children, and a loss of parental fulfillment-has received increasing attention in recent years, even more since the worldwide COVID-19 crisis and the confinement of parents with their children. This crisis put the spotlight on parents' suffering, and the need to better understand parental burnout and how to best assess and treat it emerged as a priority. This brief article introduces the Thematic Issue of New Directions in Child and Adolescent Development focused on the measurement of parental burnout across various regions of the world. It briefly reviews the concept of parental burnout, its phenomenological experience, its etiology and consequences, and its measurement.

Parental burnout in Iran: Psychometric properties of the Persian (Farsi) version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA).

Parental burnout is a severe exhaustion syndrome resulting from lasting exposure to overwhelming parenting stress. The current gold-standard instrument to evaluate parental burnout is the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA), which has recently been used in the International Investigation of Parental Burnout (IIPB), a global study on the prevalence of parental burnout. The IIPB has stimulated worldwide interest in the construct of parental burnout, but efforts are still needed to validate the PBA in different languages. The current study is aimed at examining the psychometric properties of the Persian translation of the PBA (PBA-Persian). The PBA-Persian was administered to 448 Iranian parents along with the Kansas Parental Satisfaction Scale and the Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Results showed that the PBA-Persian version is a promising tool, but the "Emotional Distancing" subscale should be used with caution. The PBA-Persian had good criterion validity vis-à-vis parental satisfaction and well-being. Future research is needed on gender invariance.

Parental burnout in Lebanon: Validation psychometric properties of the Lebanese Arabic version of the Parental Burnout Assessment.

This study- the first study on parental burnout in an Arabic speaking country in the Middle East- aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Lebanese translation of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA-Lebanese). The PBA-Lebanese was administered to 200 Lebanese parents (67% mothers). The results showed parental burnout is a valid construct relevant to Lebanese culture. In particular, we replicated the original four-factor structure of the PBA and we tested a second order factor structure through confirmatory factor analysis. The first and second order factor model fitted the data, and reliability indexes were high (α = .97 for exhaustion, .95 for contrast, .92 for feelings of being fed up, .80 for emotional distancing and .98 for the global score). There was no significant gender difference in the prevalence of parental burnout, but mean levels were higher in mothers than in fathers. Both less educated parents and single parents reported higher parental burnout, pointing to the possible role of education and social relations as protective factors for Lebanese parents.

Parental burnout in Romania: Validity of the Romanian version of the parental burnout assessment (PBA-RO).

The concept of parental burnout only recently gained the attention of researchers, mainly through the International Investigation of Parental Burnout (IIPB), a 40-country study of the prevalence of PB around the world. Based on the current gold-standard instrument to evaluate parental burnout, that is the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA), the present research investigates the psychometric properties of the Romanian version of the PBA (PBA-RO) in a sample of 650 Romanian parents (418 mothers), whose age ranged from 18 to 65 (Mage = 36.60, SD = 5.73). First, we examined internal consistency and construct validity. The results displayed good reliability and the confirmatory factor analyses replicated both expected first- and second-order four-factor models. Second, the positive association between parental burnout and perfectionism, as well as the negative relation between parental burnout and both life satisfaction and resilience, confirmed the PBA-RO's concurrent validity. Third, we replicated the low correlations with sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, educational level, family type, number of children, children's age, number of women in the household, number of men in the household, hours spent with children, having a paid professional activity, and neighborhood). The results were discussed according to the Romanian cultural context of parenting. Given the good psychometric properties of the PBA-RO, we concluded that it can successfully assess parental burnout for this population.

Validation of the Polish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA).

This study examined the factorial structure of the Polish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA-PL) and its relation with other variables, previously shown to be antecedents or outcomes of parental burnout. The PBA-PL was administered to a total sample of 2,130 parents along with other instruments depending on the study. Factorial analyses of the PBA-PL supported both the original four-factor model of parental burnout (exhaustion related to parenting, feelings of being fed up with parenting, emotional distancing from one's children, and contrast with previous parental self) and a second-order model with a global parental burnout underlying the four first-order factors. Both subscale and global scores were reliable. Significant correlations were found between PBA-PL and neuroticism, emotional intelligence, maladaptive perfectionism, perceived social support, depressive symptoms, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction. PBA-PL also predicted both parental neglect and parental violence beyond socio-demographic factors, depression, and job burnout.

Validation of the Turkish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA).

Parental Burnout (PB) is an exhaustion syndrome resulting from exposure to overwhelming parenting stress. The current gold-standard instrument, namely, Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) was used in the International Investigation of Parental Burnout (IIPB), a 40-country study of the prevalence of PB around the world. The IIPB study has stimulated worldwide interest, but efforts are still needed to validate the PBA in different cultures. This study is the first on PB in a collectivist, predominantly Islamic country. It aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish translation of the PBA. The PBA-Turkish was administered to 452 Turkish parents (60% mothers). The results showed that the PBA is a relevant construct in Turkish culture. We replicated the original four-factor structure of the PBA and tested a second-order factor structure through confirmatory factor analyses. The first- and second-order factor models fit the data well. The Emotional Distancing subscale, however, demonstrated lower reliability than the other subscales. We then attained measurement invariance across genders in a set of nested models with gradually increasing parameter constraints. Finally, non-working and single parents reported higher PB, pointing to the possible role of relationships and support as protective factors for Turkish parents.

The Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Parental Burnout Assessment: Transcultural adaptation and initial validity evidence.

This study aimed to examine the validity of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA), the current gold-standard measure of parental burnout (PB). We surveyed parents in Portugal (N = 407) and Brazil (N = 301). We (a) compared the factor structure of the Brazilian-Portuguese version with the original structure of the PBA, (b) tested the adequacy of a second-order factor structure, (c) evaluated invariance across gender and countries, (d) examined reliability, and (e) evaluated whether PB levels are related to gender, satisfaction with life, and parental self-efficacy (PSE). Results provided evidence for the validity of the Brazilian-Portuguese PBA and its four facets. Factor models supported the use of both individual facet scores and a global PB score. The structures tested were invariant across countries and gender, and all factors had good reliability. Relations with PSE, life satisfaction, and gender provided initial evidence for validity, and suggested a possible influence of intensive motherhood models.

Treating Parental Burnout: Impact and Particularities of a Mindfulness- and Compassion-Based Approach.

Mindfulness- and self-compassion-based programs have been shown to reduce parental stress, and levels of mindfulness and self-compassion have been shown to be negatively related to parental burnout (PB) factors. Based on these results, the present study aimed to test the efficacy of an 8-week mindfulness and compassion-based group approach (MCA) (n = 29) compared with the existing Parenting in Balance Program (PBP) (n = 25). Parents were blindly enrolled in one of the two conditions. Parental burnout, parental neglect and violence, irritability, parental balance between stress-enhancing and stress-alleviating factors, hair cortisol, and mindful parenting and self-compassion were measured before, after, and three months after the end of the program. All the measured outcomes positively changed over time in both conditions, except for irritability. Large effect sizes were found for parental burnout, parental neglect and violence, and mindful parenting and self-compassion. However, contrary to our hypothesis, the decrease in parental burnout in the MCA was not significantly related to an increase in mindful parenting nor self-compassion. Furthermore, certain participants from the MCA group reported higher levels of parental burnout after the intervention. The absence of specific effects between MCA and PBP programs suggests the presence of common effectiveness factors. Therefore, future studies need to analyze specific variables that may explain differential effects of programs on parental burnout levels.

Parental Burnout and Child Behavior: A Preliminary Analysis of Mediating and Moderating Effects of Positive Parenting.

Despite its significant growth over the past fifteen years, research on parental burnout is just beginning to explore the relationships of the syndrome with child behavior. Previous research with adolescents has shown the existence of associations between parental burnout and internalizing and externalizing behaviors in the offspring. The current study is an attempt to (i) replicate this preliminary evidence specifically among Chilean preschool children and (ii) explore the mediating/moderating effects of positive parenting that may be involved in these putative associations. A sample of 383 Chilean mothers participated in this cross-sectional online study. The results confirmed the associations between parental burnout and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. We also observed that positive parenting was a mediator in the relationship linking parental burnout and the child's internalizing (full mediation) and externalizing (partial mediation) behaviors. Positive parenting also partially mediated the association between the child's externalizing behavior and parental burnout. Our results further suggested that the child's externalizing behavior was possibly a more substantial contributing factor to parental burnout than the child's internalizing behavior.

Oxytocin increases willingness to socially share one's emotions.

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide that is attracting growing attention from researchers interested in human emotional and social behavior. There is indeed increasing evidence that OT has a calming effect and that it facilitates pair-bonding and social interactions. Some of OT's effects are thought to be direct, but it has been suggested that OT also may have indirect effects, mediated by changes in behavior. One potentially relevant behavioral change is an increased propensity for "emotional sharing" as this behavior, like OT, is known to have both calming and bonding effects. In this study, 60 healthy young adult men were randomly assigned to receive either intranasal placebo (PL; n = 30) or oxytocin (OT; n = 30). Participants were then instructed to retrieve a painful memory. Subsequently, OT and placebo participants' willingness to disclose to another person event-related facts (factual sharing) vs. event-related emotions (emotional sharing) was evaluated. Whereas the two groups were equally willing to disclose event-related facts, oxytocin was found to specifically increase the willingness to share event-related emotions. This study provides the first evidence that OT increases people's willingness to share their emotions. Importantly, OT did not make people more talkative (word counts were comparable across the two groups) but instead increased the willingness to share the specific component that is responsible for the calming and bonding effects of social sharing: emotions. Findings suggest that OT may shape the form of social sharing so as to maximize its benefits. This might help explain the calming and bonding effects of OT.

Parental Burnout in the Context of Special Needs, Adoption, and Single Parenthood.

Although early work on parental burnout in the 1980s did not link parental burnout to specific parenting situations, the idea that parents affected by specific vulnerability factors were particularly at risk of burnout quickly emerged. Based on the etiological model of parental burnout (i.e., the balance between risks and resources), the objective of this study was to investigate if there were specific vulnerability factors that significantly increase the risk of parental burnout. 2563 parents participated in the study. We compared parents with a child with special needs (n = 25), parents who had adopted a child (n = 130), and single parents (n = 109), to strictly matched control groups of parents. Parents with a child with special needs displayed higher burnout and lower balance between risk and resources than the control group; parents with an adopted child had similar levels of both parental burnout and balance; and single parents had higher parental burnout but similar balance. Parents who combined specific several vulnerability factors were at greater risk of burnout. Single parenthood and adoption do not in themselves trigger a process leading de facto to other risk factors, but having a child with special needs does.

Effectiveness of extrinsic emotion regulation strategies in text-based online communication.

In daily life, others play a key role in helping regulate an individual's emotions. Such emotion regulation occurs not only in face-to-face communication but also in text-based online communication. To date, much research has examined strategies for alleviating one's own negative emotions (intrinsic emotion regulation) based on the process model of emotion regulation (Gross, 1998, 2015a). However, little is known about the effectiveness of the full range of strategies for alleviating others' negative emotions (extrinsic emotion regulation) derived from this model. This research aims to fill this gap. In study 1, participants wrote response letters to bogus pen pals who had recently experienced negative emotional events. Independent coders rated the effectiveness of these response letters in alleviating pen pal's negative emotions. In study 2, participants communicated with each other on an online forum by posting about distressing events and messages that attempted to alleviate another person's negative emotions. When participants received a reply to their posts, they rated its effectiveness in alleviating their negative emotions. The results of both studies consistently showed that strategies classified as reappraisal and empathic responding effectively alleviated others' negative emotions. Moreover, emotional intensity moderated the effectiveness of some extrinsic emotion regulation strategies. Specifically, problem-solving and reappraisal showed positive effects on the alleviation of relatively less intense negative emotions. However, these effects were neither positive nor negative in regulating relatively intense negative emotions. The present study offers novel insights into other-focused emotion regulation research by clarifying similarities and differences between intrinsic and extrinsic emotion regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

I should not have had a child: Development and validation of the Parenthood Regret Scale.

Parenthood is one of the most important social roles, but the consequences of becoming a parent are not always as expected. It is estimated that in developed countries, up to 5%-14% of parents regret their decision to have children and if they could turn back time, they would choose childlessness. While such a situation can have serious consequences for the entire family system, our knowledge of the causes and consequences of regretting parenthood is very limited. Beyond the possible taboo, one factor that is certainly responsible for the small number of studies on regretting parenthood is the lack of questionnaires to measure its severity. In the present study, we decided to fill this gap and developed a new questionnaire-the Parenthood Regret Scale. In a series of three studies (total N = 2,994) conducted on English-speaking, French-speaking, and Polish-speaking samples, we analyzed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the new scale. The results confirmed that the Parenthood Regret Scale has a single-factor structure, which has been replicated in the three languages. Furthermore, the analyses confirmed that higher parenthood regret is negatively related to life satisfaction, and positively related to the severity of depressive symptoms and parental burnout. In light of the results obtained, it can be concluded that the Parenthood Regret Scale is a valid and reliable measure that can help advance research on an almost unknown issue of great social importance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental burnout and borderline personality stand out to predict child maltreatment.

Parental burnout is a severe disorder resulting from the exposure to chronic stress in the parental role, that can translate into neglectful and violent parental behaviors towards the offspring. This study (N = 1003 parents) aims to examine the relative weight of parental burnout, job burnout, depression, generalized anxiety disorder, borderline personality, sadism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and child abuse potential, in predicting violence and neglect towards the offspring. Social desirability was controlled. When all predictors are entered together in the model, violence and neglect towards the offspring are best predicted by borderline personality and parental burnout. Our results also indicate that sadism is a robust predictor of violence, however weaker than parental burnout and borderline personality. These results emphasize the importance of preventing parental burnout and supporting parents with borderline personality.