Parental Burnout and Child Maltreatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread across the United States, resulting in significant changes in almost all aspects daily life. These changes place parents at increased risk for parental burnout. Parental burnout is a chronic condition resulting from high levels of parenting-related stress due to a mismatch between the demands of parenting and the resources available for parents to meet those demands. Research on parental burnout has suggested that parents who experience burnout are more likely to engage in child abuse and neglect, placing children at risk for detrimental short- and long-term outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to review the concept of parental burnout, discuss parental burnout in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and focus specifically on the effects of child maltreatment. Implications for practitioners will be discussed.

Automated summary

The spread of the novel coronavirus in the United States has led to significant changes in almost all aspects of daily life, posing an increased risk for parental burnout among parents. Research suggests that parental burnout may increase the likelihood of parents engaging in child abuse and neglect, potentially leading to detrimental long-term outcomes for children.