Abstract
Parental burnout is a chronic stress syndrome associated with the parenting role, characterized by emotional exhaustion, emotional distancing from children, and a reduced sense of parental efficacy. Despite increasing international attention, substantial gaps remain regarding its epidemiology, developmental trajectories, and psychosocial determinants within the Italian context. The PRIN 2022 PNRR project Focus on Parents: antecedents, trajectories and role differences in parental burnout was designed to address these gaps through a multiregional longitudinal study involving four research units (University of Bologna, University of Palermo, Sapienza University of Rome, and the University of Turin). The project combined data from community-based parents, high-risk clinical samples, and the prospective NINFEA birth cohort, enabling an integrated investigation of psychological, socioeconomic, family, and developmental determinants of parental burnout.
Results achieved
The project successfully achieved its scientific objectives by completing all major milestones, including ethical approval, participant recruitment, longitudinal data collection, statistical analyses, and scientific dissemination. The establishment of one of the largest Italian datasets on parental burnout, including more than 2,000 mothers from the NINFEA cohort together with participants recruited through schools and clinical services, provided robust evidence on the individual, family, and contextual correlates of parental burnout. Findings confirmed the multidimensional structure of the construct, documented higher burnout levels among mothers than fathers, and identified key vulnerability factors, including socioeconomic disadvantage, pre-existing mental health conditions, and early child characteristics, while highlighting the protective role of high-quality early mother-child interactions. From a methodological perspective, the project demonstrated the added value of integrating birth cohort data with school-based and clinical recruitment strategies to investigate parental well-being at the population level. The scientific outputs include presentations at national and international conferences, manuscripts submitted to peer-reviewed journals, and the consolidation of a multidisciplinary research network that will support future investigations and evidence-based prevention strategies targeting parental well-being and family mental health.Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Federica Andrei
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Psicologia "Renzo Canestrari"
Coordinatore:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna(Italy)
Contributo totale di progetto: Euro (EUR) 218.541,00
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 70.949,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
30/11/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
