Parental States Associated with Stress: Conceptual Discourse and Differentiation

Abstract

Research interest in the study of the subjective side of parenthood has increased. This has led to the emergence of a spectrum of terms describing dysfunctional parental conditions. The purpose of this article is to review and differentiate concepts found in studies of parental stress states. A theoretical analysis of the research was carried out. They consider such concepts as ‟parental stress”, ‟parental distress”, ‟parental burnout”, ‟traumatic and post-traumatic stress of parents”. The main essential properties of these definitions and their correlation are shown. The prevalence and ‟normativity” of the existence of stress in the parental role is determined. It is the result of an imbalance between requirements and resources. During the review and comparison, the emphasis is placed on the traumatic and post-traumatic stress of parents. What place does it occupy in the series of parental stress states. The insufficiency of studies of traumatic and post-traumatic stress in ‟normotypic” parents (their children do not have health and developmental disorders) is shown. The analysis of the main research loci relevant to the study of this stress is carried out. These are: the need to analyze the subjective-evaluative and emotional-semantic side of traumatic events; the importance of studying the relationship of trauma with maladaptive psychophysical symptoms, with the history of human life; the need to analyze the mechanisms of development of traumatic stress, the mechanisms of transformation into post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic disorders.