stress of parenting Flashcards
adoption stress too
Goldberg et al., 2009-
While parenthood is experienced as a valued and desirable role by many.
the transition to parenthood is often associated with emotional and physical fatigue, increased strain between work and family responsibilities, and compromised well-being
. The addition of a child can also result in at least temporary declines in marital intimacy and communication, which arise from the drains on couples’ psychological, emotional, physical, and material resources that accompany this transition (Demo and Cox 2000;
. Indeed, studies of both heterosexual and lesbian couples during the transition to parenthood have documented declines in relationship quality and increases in relationship conflict.
While not all couples experience deterioration in their relationship quality and some couples recover relatively quickly, others experience persistent relationship instability, which in turn poses risk to child and family adjustment (Pacey 2004).
little effect on fatherhood?
Dykstra and Keizer (2009) found that fatherhood makes a difference in some realms of older men’s well-being but it does not matter to the same extent across all life domains. In particular, while fathers had higher incomes on average than men without children, fatherhood was not found to have an effect on older men’s life satisfaction and mental health
child order and happiness
Kohler et al., 2005=
Kohler et al. (2005) examines the relationship between partnerships, parenthood, and subjective well-being among Danish twins aged 25–45 and 50–70. The key findings include:
Being in a partnership significantly increases happiness.
Having a first child boosts well-being, especially for males, who experience a 75% greater happiness gain with a first-born son than a daughter. However, when controlling for partnerships, only females show a happiness increase from their first child.
Additional children beyond the first reduce well-being for females but have no impact on males.
Having children does not significantly affect long-term well-being (ages 50–70) for either gender.
This suggests that while partnerships and early parenthood can enhance happiness, additional children may negatively impact well-being, particularly for women, and long-term effects on happiness are minimal.
stress of becoming a parent
Parenthood often seen as the key to lifelong happiness, but
not without its costs. * Physical effects: * Mums less likely to exercise and have higher BMI than non-Mums
(Corder et al., 2020; Simpson et al., 2022). * Psychological effects: * One in 5 new and expectant mums have mental health problems (NHS
England, 2024) * Parents report greater depression than non-parents (Giannellis et al.,
2021) * Practical and financial * Financial costs can cause stress and contribute to mental health
problems experienced (e.g., Marcel et
Fatigue
* Anticipated but under-prepared for. * Results in: * Problems adjusting to new role. * Difficulties resuming old roles and responsibilities, e.g., work. * Impairments in daily functioning; concentration, memory etc. * Increased parenting stress, limited patience, decreased
confidence in abilities. * Poorer mental health; depression, anxiety, stress. * Can be long-term (beyond 2 years; Sánchez-García et al. 2021)
Wide Awake Parenting Program (Dunning et al., 2013)
Psycho-education and information on fatigue with strategies to reduce its
effects; self-directed or with home visit and telephone support
burnout
- Emotional and physical exhaustion, decreased sense of
accomplishment in parental role, emotional distancing from a child, and a contrast in parental self (Roskam et al., 2018). - Prevalence of parental burnout varies by country (Roskam et al., 2021), around 3% in UK, but higher in parents of children with chronic diseases (Lindström et al., 2010). * Affects physical and mental health, couple functioning, and child’s development (Mikolajczak et al., 2018).
CBSM Programme for reducing parental burnout (Urbanowicz et al., 2023)
8-week cognitive behavioural stress management programme for reducing burnout, delivered in-person.
transition and identity
One of the greatest changes of identity people can
experience * Women’s identities prior to motherhood differ for their
autonomy, physical appearance, sexuality, and occupation
(Nicolson, 1999) * Research suggests identity change begins in pregnancy for
both mothers (Smith, 1994) and fathers (Hofner et al., 2011) * Decline in identification as a lover/ partner *
depression in parents-
ENGLAND ET AL., 2009-
Depression is significantly associated with more hostile, negative parenting, and with more disengaged (withdrawn) parenting, both with a moderate effect size. Findings are primarily related to mothers rather than to fathers.
Depression in mothers is significantly associated with less positive parenting (warmth), with a small effect size. Findings are primarily related to mothers rather than to fathers.
The poorer parenting qualities may not improve to levels comparable to those of never-depressed parents, despite remission or recovery from episodes of depression.
These patterns of parenting have been found in depressed mothers of infants and young children as well as in depressed mothers of school-age children and adolescents.
Less is known about parenting in depressed fathers relative to mothers, but most of the findings from the smaller number of studies are consistent with the findings about mothers.
research gaps- less on fathers,
research gaps on parenting and depression
Moderation Factors: There is a need for deeper exploration of what moderates the impact of parental depression on children. Factors such as the severity, duration, and nature of depression in parents, along with child characteristics like age, sex, and temperament, require further investigation to understand who is most at risk and how interventions can be tailored to individual needs.
Physical and Psychological Health: Research gaps also exist in understanding how depression in parents affects both the physical and psychological health of children, including health care utilization, missed school days, and the impact on chronic health conditions. Longitudinal studies that track both health and psychological outcomes are essential to draw clearer connections between these domains.
Study Design and Measurement: More longitudinal studies are needed to capture the full pathways between depression, parenting, and child outcomes, ideally with multiple time points for measurement. Additionally, improving the measurement of depression in parents—particularly distinguishing between clinical diagnoses and symptom cutoffs—can provide more accurate data on how depression affects parenting and children.
Developmental Perspectives: Research should adopt a developmental lens, considering how the age of children and their unique developmental stages influence the parenting they receive and their response to parental depression. This includes testing hypotheses about how children’s behaviors, such as difficult temperament or health issues, may contribute to or exacerbate parental depression.
whilst this study acknlowedges social support it doesnt control for !
