Parental burnout in the context of the socio-health crisis and its relationship with abuse and neglect

Abstract

BackgroundThe current state of affairs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures adopted in response to it are proving particularly complex for parents who have already experienced difficulties in their parental role, since these conditions are likely to increase the levels of Parental Burnout and the risk of Abuse and Neglect. ObjectiveWe sought to describe and analyze the factors that could moderate the relationship between Parental Burnout and Maltreatment and Neglect during the pandemic period in Chile. To do so, we proposed three moderating variables of the current context: time under lockdown, the level of impact of the lockdown context, and sharing parental tasks with the partner or other adults since the beginning of the pandemic. Participants and setting572 parents were studied (447 mothers and 127 fathers). MethodA quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational, and comparative study was carried out. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed with the data obtained. ResultsThe higher the level of parental burnout, the higher the risk of maltreatment. It was also observed that the longer the time spent under lockdown, the lower the risk of maltreatment. On the other hand, the burden of not sharing household chores significantly increases Parental Burnout in mothers. ConclusionBoth Parental Burnout and Child Abuse and Neglect are likely to occur during this health crisis period. Knowing how Parental Burnout and Maltreatment and Neglect interact will make it easier to identify adaptive strategies in parents and their children and thus provide evidence for the design of interventions and preventive strategies.