Parental burnout as an extreme degree of parental stress and its impact on child development: A literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/2687-0223-2025-7-1-47-57Keywords:
parental stress, parent burnout, the impact of parental burnout on child developmentAbstract
Parental burnout has become a topic of growing scholarly interest, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many parents were confined with their children within the ‘four walls’ for prolonged periods. According to studies, parental burnout is currently diagnosed in approximately 5–6 % of parents. Importantly, it can affect not only those raising children with health conditions or special needs, but also parents of typically developing children.
This literature review offers a theoretical analysis of the current state of research on parental burnout, understood as an extreme manifestation of parental stress. Such stress may arise from either a parent’s internal rejection of the parental role or external pressures impacting both parent and child.
The review identifies and discusses key contributing factors to parental stress and burnout, highlighting the degree of readiness — or lack thereof — for motherhood as the most significant factor. It also examines the consequences of stress for parents’ physical and psychological well-being and explores various ways to manage stress. In addition, the review provides an overview of diagnostic tools used to assess parental stress and burnout, and clarifies the distinctions between these two psychological states. Finally, it analyzes how burnout-induced changes in parent–child relationships can affect a child’s development across cognitive, emotional, and physical domains.
The author concludes that preventive psychological support for mothers is essential, along with programs designed to prepare women for the parental role.
References
ИСТОЧНИКИ
Международная классификация болезней 11-го пересмотра (МКБ-11). (2025) [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://mkb11.online/129350 (дата обращения 02.01.2025).
American psychological association: Official website. (2025) [Online]. Available at: https://www.apa.org/ (accessed 02.01.2025).
SOURCES
Mezdunarodnaya klassifikatsia boleznej 11-ogo peresmotra [International classification of diseases of the 11th revision]. (2025) [Online]. Available at: https://mkb11.online/129350 (accessed 02.01.2025) (In Russian)
American psychological association: Official website. (2025) Available at: https://www.apa.org/ (accessed 02.01.2025) (In English)
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