Mothers’ Lived Experiences of Parental Burnout with Emphasis on Role Pressure, Guilt, Emotional Loneliness, and Reduced Self-Care
Keywords:
parental burnout, mothers, role pressure, guilt, emotional loneliness, self-care, qualitative research, TehranAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore mothers’ lived experiences of parental burnout and identify its psychological dimensions, with emphasis on role pressure, guilt, emotional loneliness, and reduced self-care.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative study was conducted using a descriptive phenomenological approach. Participants were 22 mothers living in Tehran, Iran, who were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation in age, employment status, number of children, and educational level. Inclusion criteria were having at least one child, reporting persistent parenting-related exhaustion and role pressure, willingness to participate, and ability to articulate lived experiences. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved; saturation occurred at the twentieth interview, and two additional interviews were conducted to confirm the stability of the emerging themes. Data were analyzed using the six-phase thematic analysis procedure, supported by NVivo software. Credibility and trustworthiness were enhanced through member checking, peer debriefing, analytic memo writing, and rich contextual description.
Findings: Analysis of the interviews resulted in four main themes: “accumulation of role pressure and uninterrupted daily routines,” “the cycle of maternal guilt and self-blame,” “emotional loneliness in the presence of others,” and “erosion of self-care and disconnection from the self.” Mothers described parental burnout not merely as physical fatigue, but as a multilayered psychological experience involving depleted emotional resources, perceived inadequacy, emotional invisibility, and the gradual abandonment of personal needs.
Conclusion: Maternal parental burnout is a complex, gradual, and relational experience shaped by role overload, cultural ideals of the “good mother,” insufficient emotional support, and reduced self-care. The findings highlight the need for family-centered interventions, self-compassion training, redistribution of caregiving responsibilities, and accessible psychological support networks for mothers
Downloads
References
Abidin, R. R. (1992). The determinants of parenting behavior. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21(4), 407–412. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15374424jccp2104_12
Adlington, K., Vasquez, C., Pearce, E., Wilson, C. A., Nowland, R., Taylor, B. L., Spring, S., Johnson, S., & Sweeney, A. (2023). “Just snap out of it” – The experience of loneliness in women with perinatal depression: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. BMC Psychiatry, 23, Article 110. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04532-2
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE.
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903
Hays, S. (1996). The cultural contradictions of motherhood. Yale University Press.
Hennink, M. M., Kaiser, B. N., & Marconi, V. C. (2017). Code saturation versus meaning saturation: How many interviews are enough? Qualitative Health Research, 27(4), 591–608. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732316665344
Hubert, S., & Aujoulat, I. (2018). Parental burnout: When exhausted mothers open up. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 1021. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01021
Lax, E. S., Graziosi, M., Gioia, A. N., Arunagiri, V., & Novak, S. A. (2023). “More than just a manicure”: Qualitative experiences of maternal self-care during COVID-19. Women’s Health Reports, 4(1), 571–583. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2023.0081
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE.
Liss, M., Schiffrin, H. H., Mackintosh, V. H., Miles-McLean, H., & Erchull, M. J. (2013). Development and validation of a quantitative measure of intensive parenting attitudes. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22(5), 621–636. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9616-y
Liss, M., Schiffrin, H. H., & Rizzo, K. M. (2013). Maternal guilt and shame: The role of self-discrepancy and fear of negative evaluation. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22, 1112–1119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9673-2
Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397
Mikolajczak, M., Brianda, M. E., Avalosse, H., & Roskam, I. (2018). Consequences of parental burnout: Its specific effect on child neglect and violence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 80, 134–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.03.025
Mikolajczak, M., Gross, J. J., & Roskam, I. (2019). Parental burnout: What is it, and why does it matter? Clinical Psychological Science, 7(6), 1319–1329. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702619858430
Mikolajczak, M., Raes, M. E., Avalosse, H., & Roskam, I. (2018). Exhausted parents: Sociodemographic, child-related, parent-related, parenting and family-functioning correlates of parental burnout. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 602–614. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0892-4
Mikolajczak, M., & Roskam, I. (2018). A theoretical and clinical framework for parental burnout: The balance between risks and resources. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 886. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00886
Rizzo, K. M., Schiffrin, H. H., & Liss, M. (2013). Insight into the parenthood paradox: Mental health outcomes of intensive mothering. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 22, 614–620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-012-9615-z
Roskam, I., Brianda, M. E., & Mikolajczak, M. (2018). A step forward in the conceptualization and measurement of parental burnout: The Parental Burnout Assessment. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, Article 758. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00758
Roskam, I., Aguiar, J., Akgun, E., Arikan, G., Artavia, M., Avalosse, H., Aunola, K., Bader, M., Bahati, C., Barham, E. J., Besson, E., Beyers, W., Boujut, E., Brianda, M. E., Brytek-Matera, A., Carbonneau, N., César, F., Chen, B.-B., Dorard, G., ... Mikolajczak, M. (2021). Parental burnout around the globe: A 42-country study. Affective Science, 2, 58–79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-020-00028-4
Sorkkila, M., & Aunola, K. (2020). Risk factors for parental burnout among Finnish parents: The role of socially prescribed perfectionism. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 29, 648–659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01607-1
Sutherland, J. A. (2010). Mothering, guilt and shame. Sociology Compass, 4(5), 310–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9020.2010.00283.x
Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., & Craig, J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research: A 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 19(6), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzm042
Downloads
Publication Timeline
- Submitted
- Revised
- Accepted
