Mapping Patterns of Parental Burnout Along Psychological Resources and Parenting Styles

Background: Parental burnout results from chronic stress related to the parental role and reflects a persistent imbalance between parenting demands and available psychological resources, negatively affecting parental well-being and parent–child relationships. This study examined the associations between parental burnout, parenting attitudes, and psychological resilience within the parental adaptation of the job demands–resources model, with particular attention to the potential mediating role of parenting styles in the relationship between resilience and parental burnout, while controlling for sociodemographic factors. Methods: A cross-sectional design was applied with 447 Hungarian parents who completed an anonymous online questionnaire including the Parental Burnout Assessment, the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, and the 10-item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale. Data were analyzed using nonparametric correlations, group comparisons, multiple linear regression models with bootstrap estimation, and mediation analyses. Results: Resilience showed negative associations with all dimensions of parental burnout. Authoritarian and permissive parenting styles were positively associated with burnout, whereas authoritative parenting style showed negative associations. In multivariate analyses, authoritative parenting attitudes and fulfillment of the ideal parental role emerged as protective factors, while authoritarian parenting style functioned as a significant risk factor. Mediation analyses further indicated that the association between resilience and parental burnout may partly operate through parenting styles, particularly across the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, contrast, and emotional distancing. Conclusions: Parental burnout appears to be a dynamic psychological process shaped by the interaction of internal resources and parenting functioning, underscoring the importance of resource-oriented approaches in prevention and intervention.