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Parental burnout results from chronic stress in parenting, and it can be accompanied by harmful behaviors such as parental neglect and violence (Mikolajczak & Roskam, 2018). Network analysis examines psychological phenomena within a system of its constituents, and thus it is promising for understanding the distinct features of parental burnout and behaviors related to it. Recently, Blanchard et al. (2021) conducted the first network analysis of parental burnout and related harmful behaviors in the family context, but did so using an outdated measure and conceptualization of parental burnout. In the present study, in a sample of French-speaking parents (N = 3144, from five different previous studies), we aimed to investigate how each of the four features in the new conceptualization of parental burnout (i.e., emotional exhaustion, feeling fed up, emotional distance, and contrast with the previous parental self) interact with one another and with parental neglect and violence in a network system. In this preregistered reanalysis, we generated two network models commonly used with cross-sectional data: a Graphical Gaussian Model and a Directed Acyclic Graph. Our results point to emotional exhaustion and feeling fed up as key driving forces of the network structure, while emotional distance appears as a critical feature tying parental burnout with parental neglect and violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many parents have days where they encounter emotional exhaustion, emotional distance from their children, and feeling fed up with being a parent. Some parents experience these characteristics to a severe extent—a clinical phenomenon termed parental burnout. Parental burnout arises when parents chronically endure severe stress without sufficient resources to cope, which may lead to detrimental consequences not only for the parent but also for their partner (e.g., marital conflict) and children (i.e., neglect and violence). However, uncertainty remains regarding how these features interact and trigger one another over time (potentially becoming increasingly severe), nor how the daily variations of the family context influence these features. Therefore, in this study, we recruited 50 parents (with main analyses focusing on 43 mothers with a co-parent, and sensitivity analyses with the full sample) from the general population to rate the core features of parental burnout and the family context daily over 56 days. We used multilevel vector autoregressive models to generate network models. Results suggest that exhaustion contributes to parental burnout: It self-predicts and is closely associated with feeling fed up and finding children difficult to manage. Distance, by contrast, is mainly negatively connected to sharing positive moments with children. Contextual variables also interact with parental burnout features, illustrating the relevance of examining parenting within the family system context. If future research confirms a central role of exhaustion in parental burnout development, prevention efforts can focus on decreasing parental exhaustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental burnout is a growing subject of research, but thus far this research has not examined whether the features of parental burnout fluctuate over time. Moreover, parenting and parental burnout are inextricable from their family context. Therefore, a critical next step involves examining how parental burnout features temporally unfold and interact with the ever-changing family environment. To do so, we developed an 11-item experience sampling methodology (ESM) tool to measure self-reported parental burnout features (specifically emotional exhaustion, emotional distance, and feeling fed up), as well as partner relationship, children's behavior, behavior toward children, social support, and perceived resources. We conducted two two-week periods of ESM data collection (one with French-language ESM items; n = 9; one with English-language ESM items; n=23) and one eight-week data collection with the French-language ESM items (n=50). We collected the ESM data using formr, an open-source platform, and we provide open access to all materials (including a formr template, allowing free use of the assessment tool), analysis code, and data: https://osf.io/s2yv5/. Participants' responses indicated sufficient within-person variability (assessed via intraclass correlation) and support for convergent and discriminant validity (assessed by correlating aggregated ESM responses with retrospective questionnaire scores on parental burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress). Lastly, we found that the three parental burnout ESM items had high between-subject reliability and moderate within-subject reliability. Participating parents found the ESM survey easy to answer and not burdensome. Finally, we discuss how assessing parental burnout over time can help usher parental burnout research and treatment forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network science has allowed varied scientific fields to investigate and visualize complex relations between many variables, and psychology research has begun to adopt a network perspective. In this paper, we consider how leaving behind reductionist approaches and instead embracing a network perspective can advance the field of parental burnout. Although research into parental burnout is in its early stages, we argue that a network approach to parental burnout could set the scene for radically new vistas in parental burnout research. We claim that such an approach can allow simultaneous investigations (and clear visualizations) of many variables related to parental burnout and their interactions, integrates smoothly with prior family systems theories, and prioritizes dynamic research questions. We likewise discuss potential future clinical applications, such as interventions targeting central nodes and treatment personalized to a specific family's network system. We also review practical considerations, limitations, and future directions for researchers interested in applying a network approach to parental burnout research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of network analyses in psychology has increasingly gained traction in the last few years. A network perspective views psychological constructs as dynamic systems of interacting elements. We present the first study to apply network analyses to examine how the hallmark features of parental burnout — i.e., exhaustion related to the parental role, emotional distancing from children, and a sense of ineffectiveness in the parental role — interact with one another and with maladaptive behaviors related to the partner and the child(ren), when these variables are conceptualized as a network system. In a preregistered fashion, we reanalyzed the data from a French-speaking sample (n = 1551; previously published in Mikolajczak, Brianda et al., 2018), focusing on seven specific variables: the three hallmark parental burnout features, partner conflict, partner estrangement, neglectful behavior toward children, and violent behavior toward children. We computed two types of network models, a graphical Gaussian model to examine network structure, potential communities, and influential nodes, and a directed acyclic graph to examine the probabilistic dependencies among the different variables. Both network models pointed to emotional distance as an especially potent mechanism in activating all other nodes. These results suggest emotional distance as critical to the maintenance of the parental burnout network and a prime candidate for future interventions, while affirming that network analysis can successfully expose the structure and relationship of variables related to parental burnout and its consequences related to the partner and the child(ren). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]