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Increased prevalence of burnout symptoms in parents of chronically ill children
C Lindström1, J Aman, A L Norberg
1Department of Pediatrics, Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden. caisa.lindstrom@orebroll.se
Insights
Parents of children with chronic illnesses like Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases experience significantly higher rates of burnout (36%) compared to parents of healthy children (20%). This highlights a critical need for support for these caregivers.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Parenting a child with a chronic illness presents unique challenges.
- Burnout is a recognized psychological response to chronic stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of burnout symptoms in parents of children with chronic conditions.
- To compare burnout rates between parents of chronically ill children and parents of healthy children.
Main Methods:
- A population-based study involving 252 parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, 38 parents of children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and 124 parents of healthy children.
- Self-report questionnaires were utilized to assess burnout symptoms.
Main Results:
- Parents of children with chronic diseases reported significantly higher rates of clinical burnout (36%) compared to parents of healthy children (20%).
- Burnout symptoms were most prevalent in mothers of children with diabetes, but also elevated in fathers and parents of children with inflammatory bowel diseases.
Conclusions:
- Burnout is a relevant model for understanding parental psychological responses to chronic childhood illness.
- Gender appears to influence the risk of burnout symptoms in these parents.
- Clinical attention should be directed towards identifying and supporting parents experiencing burnout.
Aim:
To examine the prevalence of burnout symptoms in the context of parenting a chronically ill child.
Methods:
A total of 252 parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and 38 parents of children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases participated in a population-based study. A control group consisted of 124 randomly selected parents of healthy children. We used self-report questionnaires to assess symptoms of burnout.
Results:
The main finding was that significantly more parents of children with chronic diseases (36%) scored for clinical burnout, compared with parents of healthy children (20%). Burnout symptoms were most prominent among mothers of children with diabetes, although fathers of children with diabetes and mothers and fathers of children with inflammatory bowel diseases also reported higher levels of various burnout symptoms.
Conclusion:
Burnout may be a useful model for understanding long-term parental responses and should be acknowledged among the different types of psychological consequences of the multi-faceted experience of parenting a child with chronic illness. Gender seems to influence the risk of burnout symptoms. Continued research about other background factors, and how the parents' situation changes over time are warranted. In the clinic, we need to draw attention to the group of parents who may suffer from burnout.
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