View in EDS

Children's Problems Predicted Parents' Mental Health via Parental Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Sample of Predominantly White, Partnered Mothers

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Children's Problems Predicted Parents' Mental Health via Parental Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Sample of Predominantly White, Partnered Mothers
Language: English
Authors: Lindsey C. Partington (ORCID 0000-0002-5107-577X), Meital Mashash, Paul D. Hastings
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(4):877-891.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Parents, Mental Health, Burnout, Child Behavior, Well Being, Behavior Problems, Emotional Problems, Depression (Psychology), Anxiety, Individual Characteristics
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
DOI: 10.1037/dev0002076
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted families' daily lives, compromising parents', and children's well-being. From a family systems perspective, children's socioemotional difficulties may infiltrate family dynamics via increased parental burnout--a syndrome characterized by exhaustion, low self-fulfillment, and emotional distancing due to demanding childrearing--that potentially compromises a parent's mental health over time. We examined how changes in children's difficulties predicted parents' mental health via parental burnout during the first 1.5 years of the pandemic. Three hundred seventeen U.S. parents (93% mothers, 70% White, median income-per-capita: $31,250) with children ages 2-18 years (M = 7.26 years, SD = 4.08 years) participated in a three-wave, longitudinal study examining family adjustment. Parents reported on their mental health, parental burnout, and their children's difficulties. A linear latent growth curve model found significant variability in children's initial total difficulties score and significant decreases in children's difficulties over 1.5 years. In an indirect effects model, both children's high initial total difficulties and their increasing difficulties over the pandemic prospectively predicted greater parental burnout, which subsequently related to parents' greater mental health problems. Despite concerns surrounding children's adjustment, our findings suggest that children's socioemotional difficulties decreased as the pandemic continued for this sample of well-resourced families. However, parents of children who began the pandemic with many difficulties, or who had increasing difficulties, were susceptible to parental burnout and compromised mental health. Providing resources for parents of children with challenging behaviors early and throughout a health crisis may mitigate downstream impacts on parents' well-being.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503602
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1503602
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Children's Problems Predicted Parents' Mental Health via Parental Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Sample of Predominantly White, Partnered Mothers
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lindsey+C%2E+Partington%22">Lindsey C. Partington</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5107-577X">0000-0002-5107-577X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meital+Mashash%22">Meital Mashash</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paul+D%2E+Hastings%22">Paul D. Hastings</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 62(4):877-891.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 15
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Parents%22">Parents</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Burnout%22">Burnout</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Behavior%22">Child Behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well+Being%22">Well Being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Behavior+Problems%22">Behavior Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Problems%22">Emotional Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Depression+%28Psychology%29%22">Depression (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Anxiety%22">Anxiety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Characteristics%22">Individual Characteristics</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Strengths+and+Difficulties+Questionnaire%22">Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1037/dev0002076
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted families' daily lives, compromising parents', and children's well-being. From a family systems perspective, children's socioemotional difficulties may infiltrate family dynamics via increased parental burnout--a syndrome characterized by exhaustion, low self-fulfillment, and emotional distancing due to demanding childrearing--that potentially compromises a parent's mental health over time. We examined how changes in children's difficulties predicted parents' mental health via parental burnout during the first 1.5 years of the pandemic. Three hundred seventeen U.S. parents (93% mothers, 70% White, median income-per-capita: $31,250) with children ages 2-18 years (M = 7.26 years, SD = 4.08 years) participated in a three-wave, longitudinal study examining family adjustment. Parents reported on their mental health, parental burnout, and their children's difficulties. A linear latent growth curve model found significant variability in children's initial total difficulties score and significant decreases in children's difficulties over 1.5 years. In an indirect effects model, both children's high initial total difficulties and their increasing difficulties over the pandemic prospectively predicted greater parental burnout, which subsequently related to parents' greater mental health problems. Despite concerns surrounding children's adjustment, our findings suggest that children's socioemotional difficulties decreased as the pandemic continued for this sample of well-resourced families. However, parents of children who began the pandemic with many difficulties, or who had increasing difficulties, were susceptible to parental burnout and compromised mental health. Providing resources for parents of children with challenging behaviors early and throughout a health crisis may mitigate downstream impacts on parents' well-being.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1503602
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1503602
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1037/dev0002076
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 15
        StartPage: 877
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Parents
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Burnout
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Well Being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Behavior Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emotional Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Depression (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Anxiety
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Individual Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Children's Problems Predicted Parents' Mental Health via Parental Burnout during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Sample of Predominantly White, Partnered Mothers
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lindsey C. Partington
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Meital Mashash
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Paul D. Hastings
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 04
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0012-1649
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1939-0599
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 62
            – Type: issue
              Value: 4
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Developmental Psychology
              Type: main
ResultId 1