Page 70 - IJPS-9-3

International Journal of
Population Studies COVID-19 effects on parent burnout

normal conditions, it is not hard to fathom that working associated with extroversion. Cultural differences may
from home during the pandemic would further make this also have an effect on burnout, especially in a culture
even more difficult. Working parents had to take care of with collectivist features such as the culture in Türkiye
their children’s education while they were at home, along (Arıkan et al., 2020), where different personality traits of
with their home- and work-related responsibilities. For Turkish parents may be associated with burnout. Knowing
parents working from home, it may not always be possible that extroverts are social people who love cooperation,
to maintain the work-home boundaries and balance while introverts are people who like loneliness, keep their
the family, work, and home responsibilities. Therefore, feelings inside, and remain distant from others (İnanç &
working in the workplace in such a situation may be a Yerlikaya, 2012), being introverted in a collectivist culture
protective factor for parent burnout. Although going to the may be a risk factor for parent burnout. Considering
workplace during the pandemic poses a hazard to physical that extroversion is a dimension of personality related
health, working away from home at the conventional to interpersonal behavior and being socially active with
workplace, having the opportunity to socialize with other others, people who are introverted may benefit less from
people, and having their social support needs met could social support, which is an important protective factor
have a positive effect on parents (Günlü et al., 2021). In in parent burnout (Sorkkila & Aunola, 2020). In other
summary, the workplace, rather than the working status, words, introverts use fewer behaviors to get social support
during the pandemic seems to have a significant impact on or establish interpersonal relationships than extroverts.
parent burnout. In addition, introverts may not share the difficulties of
being a parent because they do not like to share their
The levels of burnout did not differ by the parent’s feelings and may feel inadequate and exhausted by the
perception of whether the parent and/or his/her family thought that their experiences are isolated cases that not
had a diagnosis of COVID-19, and whether someone in many people have endured. These results support the
the family and/or a relative died from COVID-19. These views and findings of Le Vigouroux et al. (2017) who
results are consistent with the findings of Le Vigouroux suggested that personality plays a role in the development
et al. (2021) who determined that there was no increase of parent burnout. Based on the meta-analysis findings by
in the level of parent burnout during the COVID-19 Prinzie et al. (2009), personality and parenting practices
period compared to the pre-pandemic period, suggesting are related. Parents who show more frequent and intense
that the effect of susceptibility factors (e.g., personality, negative effect are anxious, and having frequent emotional
emotional competencies, and attachment style) on the ups and downs (high emotional instability) will increase
development of parent burnout was greater than that of their negative emotional interactions with their children
other demographic and contextual factors. Taken together, and decrease the possibility of adequately responding to
parent exhaustion may be engendered by the parent’s their children’s feelings and needs. Parents with higher
personality traits, emotional competencies, and quality self-discipline, regulation, and planning skills (high
and quantity of interaction with the child, instead of the conscientiousness) will be able to create a more structured
pandemic experiences. In addition, these results are in line and coherent environment for their children, and to
with the findings of a study that found that COVID-19 achieve work-life balance better. It has been suggested
quarantine restrictions did not predict parent burnout that extroversion, which portrays an open-to-interaction,
(Swit & Breen, 2022). active and talkative personality that enjoys interpersonal
Our results showed that a high level of emotional communication, positively affects parenting. Extroverted
instability and introversion, and a low level of parents will have a more active and positive interaction
conscientiousness were all found to be risk factors for with both their children and social support resources, and
parent burnout. The notion that these personality traits are the extroverted personality may increase the possibility
associated with burnout is consistent with literature review of receiving positive reactions from them (Le Vigouroux
studies dealing with the relationship between burnout et al., 2017). Taken together, our results showed that
in the professional field and personality traits (Alarcon emotional instability is a risk factor for parent burnout,
et al., 2009; Swider & Zimmerman, 2010). However, while extroversion and conscientiousness are protective
openness to experience, which was found to be related in factors. In summary, the parents who will most likely
the aforementioned studies, was not found to be relevant experience parent burnout are those with the highest levels
in this study. Unlike the study of Le Vigouroux et al. of emotional instability and introversion and the lowest
(2017), which showed that parent burnout was associated levels of conscientiousness.
with high neuroticism and low level of conscientiousness Perfectionism, which was included in the regression
and agreeableness, parent burnout was also found to be analysis in Step 2 after personality traits, did not predict

Volume 9 Issue 3 (2023) 64 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.387