Parental Burnout in Generation Z Parents and Its Implications for Parent-Child Relationships: A Narrative Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24114/jkss.v24i1.72353Keywords:
Parental burnout, Generation Z parents, parent and child relationshipsAbstract
Parental burnout has emerged as a critical issue among Generation Z parents in the context of increasing caregiving demands, economic pressures, and modern parenting expectations. This study aims to synthesize empirical and conceptual evidence on the impact of parental burnout on parent and child relationships among Generation Z parents. A Narrative Literature Review (NLR) was conducted by examining peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in Scopus published between 2021 and 2026. The literature was thematically analyzed to identify major patterns, psychological mechanisms, protective factors, and demographic and cultural contexts shaping the experience of burnout. The synthesis indicates that parental burnout is significantly associated with increased parent and child conflict, reduced emotional intimacy, and diminished family cohesion, with a bidirectional and self-reinforcing relationship between caregiving exhaustion and relational difficulties. The effects of burnout are mediated by emotional exhaustion, harsh parenting, low parental empathy, and impaired emotion regulation, whereas adaptive emotion regulation, coparenting quality, social support, and family resilience function as protective factors. Gender differences moderate both the experience and consequences of burnout, with mothers experiencing greater emotional impacts and paternal burnout being more closely linked to children’s psychological well-being. Personality traits, socioeconomic conditions, individualistic cultural orientations, and urban living further contribute to variations in burnout among Generation Z parents. Overall, parental burnout among Generation Z parents represents a dynamic and transactional process shaped by the interaction of emotional, behavioral, personality, and contextual factors, underscoring the need for multidimensional and gender-sensitive interventions to break the burnout–conflict cycle and safeguard children’s emotional well-being.References
Bian, H., Bian, Y., & Liang, L. (2025). The impact of parental burnout on family cohesion: the mediating roles of parent-child relationships and parental differences. Current Psychology, 44(10), 9435-9445. doi:10.1007/s12144-025-07729-8
Blanchard, M. A., Hoebeke, Y., & Heeren, A. (2023). Parental Burnout Features and the Family Context: A Temporal Network Approach in Mothers. Journal of Family Psychology, 37(3), 398-407. doi:10.1037/fam0001070
Blanchard, M. A., Hoebeke, Y., & Heeren, A. (2025). Parental burnout and decreased sensitivity to context for mothers: A temporal network approach grounded in the family environment. Scientific Reports, 15(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-27811-2
Bogdán, P. M., Varga, K., Tóth, L., Gróf, K., & Pakai, A. (2025). Parental Burnout: A Progressive Condition Potentially Compromising Family Well-Being—A Narrative Review. Paper presented at the Healthcare.
Brandão, T., Diniz, E., Basto-Pereira, M., & Babore, A. (2024). Emotion Regulation and Parental Burnout: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 31(1), 97-109. doi:10.1037/cps0000181
Brandão, T., Diniz, E., Basto-Pereira, M., & Babore, A. (2024). Emotion regulation and parental burnout: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 31(1), 97.
Buzalová, S., Davidová, M., & Mlynarčík, P. (2019). Generation Z and their attitudes to parenting. CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK, 16.
Çakmak, S., & Arıkan, G. (2024). From burnout to parental burnout: How does caregiving become a burden? Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar, 16(1), 185-202.
Chen, C., Hu, H., & Shi, R. (2023). Regional Differences in Chinese Female Demand for Childcare Services of 0–3 Years: The Moderating and Mediating Effects of Family Childcare Context. Children, 10(1). doi:10.3390/children10010151
Chen, M.-L., Liu, X.-H., & Guo, J. (2022). Relationship between social support and parental burnout in COVID-19 among Chinese young parents. Beijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban= Journal of Peking University. Health Sciences, 54(3), 520-525.
Chen, M. L., Liu, X. H., & Guo, J. (2022). Relationship between social support and parental burnout in COVID-19 among Chinese young parents. Beijing da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Peking University. Health sciences, 54(3), 520-525. doi:10.19723/j.issn.1671-167X.2022.03.018
Childress, S., LaBrenz, C. A., Findley, E., & Baiden, P. (2024). Adjusting parenting roles and work expectations among women with children during COVID-19. Families in Society, 105(2), 252-268.
Del Ciampo, L. A., & Del Ciampo, I. R. L. (2025). Parental Burnout. Risk, 19, 20.
Desimpelaere, E. N., Soenens, B., Prinzie, P., Waterschoot, J., Vansteenkiste, M., Morbée, S., . . . De Pauw, S. S. (2023). Parents’ stress, parental burnout, and parenting behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: Comparing parents of children with and without complex care needs. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(12), 3681-3696.
Dubois, A. C., Roberti-Lintermans, M., Mallien, Z., François, A., Lahaye, M., De Mol, J., & Aujoulat, I. (2024). How do exhausted parents experience their interactions with their children? A qualitative and participative study. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1340748
Jayatissa, K. (2023). Generation Z–A new lifeline: A systematic literature review. Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 3(2).
Jia-Yuan, Z., Yubin, C., Linghui, Z., Yuqiu, Z., & Xining, L. (2025). Parental burnout and parent–child relationship: the role of harsh parenting in couples. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 30(5), 957-970. doi:10.1080/13548506.2025.2450547
Jia-Yuan, Z., Yubin, C., Linghui, Z., Yuqiu, Z., & Xining, L. (2025). Parental burnout and parent–child relationship: the role of harsh parenting in couples. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 30(5), 957-970.
Kadosh-Laor, T., Israeli-Ran, L., Shalev, I., & Uzefovsky, F. (2023). Empathy and parenthood: The moderating role of maternal trait empathy on parental burnout. British Journal of Psychology, 114(3), 605-620. doi:10.1111/bjop.12640
Kalkan, R. B., Blanchard, M. A., Mikolajczak, M., Roskam, I., & Heeren, A. (2023). Emotional exhaustion and feeling fed up as the driving forces of parental burnout and its consequences on children: insights from a network approach. Current Psychology, 42(26), 22278-22289. doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03311-8
Kubenová, V., Kubena, A., Dolej, M., Bílková, Z., Bakel, H. V., & Bajgarová, Z. (2023). Parental burnout - basic psychometric properties of the Czech version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) and the association of parental burnout with demographic indicators. Ceskoslovenska Psychologie, 67(5), 291-307. doi:10.51561/cspsych.67.5.291
Lee, Y., & Guterman, N. B. (2010). Young mother-father dyads and maternal harsh parenting behavior. Child Abuse and Neglect, 34(11), 874-885. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.06.001
Liao, X., Wang, T., Tian, J., & Xie, H. (2025). A Cross-Sectional Study of Child Problem Behaviors and Parental Burnout in Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi:10.1007/s10803-025-06887-9
Lierop, V., & Petrus, S. A. (2023). GENERATION Z REACHING ADULTHOOD IN SOCIETY: Perceptions of Generation Z's impact on the construction of Societal Challenges and Organisational Changes in Western Europe: A Qualitative Exploration. In.
Lin, G. X., & Szczygieł, D. (2025). Emotion controllability beliefs, emotion regulation, and parental burnout. Current Psychology, 44(7), 5766-5777. doi:10.1007/s12144-025-07621-5
Liu, Y., Chee, J. H., & Wang, Y. (2022). Parental burnout and resilience intervention among Chinese parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 1034520.
Liu, Y., Chee, J. H., & Wang, Y. (2022). Parental burnout and resilience intervention among Chinese parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in psychology, 13. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1034520
Lu, B., Sun, J., Sun, F., Yang, J., & Chen, B. B. (2024). The Association Between Marital Satisfaction and Parental Burnout: A Moderated Mediation Model of Parents’ and Grandparents’ Coparenting. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33(4), 1172-1183. doi:10.1007/s10826-024-02804-3
Macuka, I., Ercegovac, I. R., & Šimunić, A. (2024). Parent Personality, Child Neglect, and Violence in Relation to Competence and Burnout*. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33(3), 954-967. doi:10.1007/s10826-023-02780-0
Macuka, I., Šimunić, A., & Šimac, D. (2024). Determinants of Parental Burnout. Društvena istraživanja, 33(1), 125-147. doi:10.5559/di.33.1.06
Mikolajczak, M., Aunola, K., Sorkkila, M., & Roskam, I. (2023). 15 years of parental burnout research: Systematic review and agenda. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 32(4), 276-283.
Nguyen, T. M., Mikolajczak, M., Wang, W., Le, H. T. H., & Roskam, I. (2025). Work–Family Conflict and Enrichment, Family Routines and Rituals Meaning, and Parental Burnout in UK and Vietnamese Families. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 51(3). doi:10.1111/jmft.70056
Ning, M., Chen, B.-B., Chen, S., & Hou, X.-H. (2023). A tale of two cities: Chinese mothers’ parental burnout and parenting behaviors in Shanghai and Nanning. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 26(4), 503-511.
Ning, M., Chen, B. B., Chen, S., & Hou, X. H. (2023). A tale of two cities: Chinese mothers’ parental burnout and parenting behaviors in Shanghai and Nanning. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 26(4), 503-511. doi:10.1007/s00737-023-01336-x
Nwobodo, R. E. (2025). PARENTING IN A GEN Z ERA: THE 21 CENTURY CHALLENGE OF PARENTALAUTHORITY AND CONTROL IN AFRICA. AMAMIHE Journal of Applied Philosophy, 23(1).
Oerther, S., & Oerther, D. B. (2021). Review of recent research about parenting Generation Z pre-teen children. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(11), 1073-1086.
Pautasso, M. (2019). The structure and conduct of a narrative literature review. A guide to the scientific career: Virtues, communication, research and academic writing, 299-310.
Peredy, Z., Vigh, L., Wei, Q., & Jiang, M. (2024). Analysing generation Z communication attitudes, values and norms. Acta Periodica (Edutus), 30, 4-19.
Piotrowski, K., Bojanowska, A., Szczygieł, D., Mikolajczak, M., & Roskam, I. (2023). Parental burnout at different stages of parenthood: Links with temperament, Big Five traits, and parental identity. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1087977.
Plantaš, A., & Nakić Radoš, S. (2024). Some Psychosocial Predictors of Parental Burnout in Mothers of Children Below the Age of Five. Društvena istraživanja, 33(4), 503-525. doi:10.5559/di.33.4.02
Povey, J., Plage, S., Huang, Y., Gramotnev, A., Cook, S., Austerberry, S., & Western, M. (2022). Adolescence a Period of Vulnerability and Risk for Adverse Outcomes across the Life Course: The Role of Parent Engagement in Learning. In Life Course Research and Social Policies (Vol. 15, pp. 97-131).
Rachmad, Y. E. (2025). The Future of Gen Z Careers: Competence and Certification Replacing Degrees. United Nations Development Programme.
Radoš, S. N., & Plantaš, A. (2025). Some Psychosocial Predictors of Parental Burnout in Mothers of Children Below the Age of Five. Društvena istraživanja, 33(4), 525.
Ren, X., Cai, Y., Wang, J., & Chen, O. (2024). A systematic review of parental burnout and related factors among parents. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 376.
Roblek, V., Mesko, M., Dimovski, V., & Peterlin, J. (2019). Smart technologies as social innovation and complex social issues of the Z generation. Kybernetes, 48(1), 91-107.
Rosenberg, H., Blondheim, M., & Sabag-Ben Porat, C. (2025). Who in the World Is Generation Z? The Rise of Mobile Natives and Their Socio-Technological Identity. Societies, 15(11), 314.
Roskam, I., Aguiar, J., Akgun, E., Arena, A. F., Arikan, G., Aunola, K., . . . Mikolajczak, M. (2024). Three reasons why parental burnout is more prevalent in individualistic countries: a mediation study in 36 countries. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 59(4), 681-694. doi:10.1007/s00127-023-02487-z
Roskam, I., Philippot, P., Gallée, L., Verhofstadt, L., Soenens, B., Goodman, A., & Mikolajczak, M. (2022). I am not the parent I should be: Cross-sectional and prospective associations between parental self-discrepancies and parental burnout. Self and Identity, 21(4), 430-455.
Sorkkila, M., & Aunola, K. (2022). Burned-out Fathers and Untold Stories: Mixed Methods Investigation of the Demands and Resources of Finnish Fathers. Family Journal, 30(4), 611-620. doi:10.1177/10664807211052477
Sorkkila, M., & Aunola, K. (2022). Burned-out fathers and untold stories: Mixed methods investigation of the demands and resources of Finnish fathers. The Family Journal, 30(4), 611-620.
Teuber, Z., Guo, J., Dicke, T., Jordan, G., Schiltz, C., Greiff, S., & Aunola, K. (2025). Emotionally and Cognitively Drained: Longitudinal Associations Between Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Parental Burnout From Between- and Within-Person Perspectives. Stress and Health, 41(3). doi:10.1002/smi.70053
Wang, L., Wei, Y., Xiao, Y., & Cai, H. (2023). Relation between young children's anger and fathers' mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic: Moderating role of gender and child number. Child and Family Social Work, 28(4), 1066-1077. doi:10.1111/cfs.13026
Wang, P., Lewis, K., Helling, R., Ademi, V., McIntosh, A., & Uthayakumar, S. (2024). Families Behind the Filter: How Social Media Influences Undergraduate Students Perceptions of Parenthood. McMaster Undergraduate Journal of Social Psychology, 5(1).
Wang, Q., Lin, Y., Teuber, Z., Li, F., & Su, Y. (2024). Parental Burnout and Prosocial Behavior among Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Empathy. Behavioral Sciences, 14(1). doi:10.3390/bs14010017
Wang, X., Yu, D., & Huo, M. (2025). The influence of work–family conflict on parental burnout in china: moderating effect of spousal support and its gender differences. Journal of Family Issues, 46(2), 351-375.
Xu, X. (2025). How Is Parental Burnout Related to Emotional Problems? Exploring the Roles of Coparenting and Parent-Child Conflict in Chinese Children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 38(4). doi:10.1111/jcap.70046
Yan, T., Hou, Y., & Deng, Y. (2025). Parental Burnout in Chinese Parents of Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Generalized Additive Model Perspective. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi:10.1007/s10803-025-07151-w
Yan, Y., Zhang, X., Ye, C., Li, J., Gao, J., & Geng, Y. (2025). Evolving trends in work-family balance research: A bibliometric perspective. Medicine (United States), 104(46). doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000045851
Yang, B., Chen, B.-B., Qu, Y., & Zhu, Y. (2021). Impacts of parental burnout on Chinese youth’s mental health: The role of parents’ autonomy support and emotion regulation. Journal of youth and adolescence, 50(8), 1679-1692.
Yang, B., Chen, B. B., Qu, Y., & Zhu, Y. (2021). Impacts of Parental Burnout on Chinese Youth’s Mental Health: The Role of Parents’ Autonomy Support and Emotion Regulation. Journal of youth and adolescence, 50(8), 1679-1692. doi:10.1007/s10964-021-01450-y
Yang, B., Zhou, Z., Qu, Y., & Chen, B. B. (2025). Is There a Vicious Cycle Between Parental Burnout and Parent–Adolescent Conflict? A Three-Wave Within-Family Analytic Approach. Family process, 64(1). doi:10.1111/famp.70015
Yang, B., Zhou, Z., Qu, Y., & Chen, B. B. (2025). Is There a Vicious Cycle Between Parental Burnout and Parent–Adolescent Conflict? A Three‐Wave Within‐Family Analytic Approach. Family process, 64(1), e70015.
Yılmaz, F., & Göksel, P. (2025). Burnout and related factors in mothers of preschool children. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 28(5), 1233-1240. doi:10.1007/s00737-025-01596-9
Zhang, H., Li, S., Wang, R., & Hu, Q. (2023). Parental burnout and adolescents’ academic burnout: Roles of parental harsh discipline, psychological distress, and gender. Frontiers in psychology, 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1122986
Zhao, J., Hu, H., Zhao, S., Li, W., & Lipowska, M. (2023). Parental burnout of parents of primary school students: an analysis from the perspective of job demands-resources. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1171489
Zimmermann, G., Antonietti, J.-P., Mageau, G., Mouton, B., & Van Petegem, S. (2022). Parents’ storm and stress beliefs about adolescence: Relations with parental overprotection and parental burnout.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 AZAHRA CUSINIA, Annisaislami Khairati, Mharchelya

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

















