Parental Burnout: Definition, Signs, and Support

What is parental burnout?

Parental burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion that results from excessive parenting stress and a lack of support. It is linked to the parenting role rather than to paid work, so it can affect parents with or without a job.

In a 42-country study of 17,409 parents, its prevalence varied widely between countries and was higher in individualistic cultures. In France, the national public health agency reports that it affects nearly 6% of people, mostly women.

Four signs described by research

Working from the accounts of exhausted parents, Isabelle Roskam and Moïra Mikolajczak’s team (UCLouvain) identified four dimensions:

• exhaustion in one’s parental role;
• contrast with one’s previous parental self;
• feeling fed up with one’s parental role;
• emotional distancing from one’s children.

Exhaustion, not personal failure

In this team’s studies, parents’ psychological traits, parenting practices, and family functioning explain more of parental burnout than sociodemographic factors. In the 42-country study, individualistic cultural values played a larger role than the number or age of children or the hours spent with them.

In other words, burnout reflects a lasting imbalance between demands and resources, not a lack of love or skill.

Parental burnout: where to find support

Parental burnout can affect a parent’s health, their relationship, and their bond with their child. Talking about it early protects the whole family. A primary care provider or therapist can help you find support.

If you fear you might harm yourself or your child, call or text 988 in the United States, or call 911.

What our test can and cannot measure

Parental burnout is measured with specific questionnaires, such as the Parental Burnout Assessment, which we do not offer. Our burnout test (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory) is not a parental burnout test: its personal exhaustion section, open to parents with or without a job, can describe general fatigue without identifying its cause.