Study: Cooperation Can Help Prevent Burnout Among New Parents

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Becoming a parent for the first time brings many changes to a couple’s life. Lack of sleep, growing responsibilities and the constantly changing needs of a baby can leave parents prone to physical and emotional exhaustion.

Research suggests that good cooperation between fathers and mothers can help reduce the risk of parental burnout, or exhaustion in carrying out the parental role.

Citing Psychology Today on Tuesday (6/10) local time, a study by Jacopo Tracchegiani and Nicola Carone, published in the Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, involved 434 parents who had their first child.

The results show that couples who felt more united in raising their child tended to experience lower levels of parental burnout.

Parental burnout is characterised by intense exhaustion, emotional distancing from the child, reduced satisfaction in the parental role, and feelings of being unable to be a good parent.

During this period, new parents are still adapting to their changing roles while trying to balance work, personal life and childcare.

Partner cooperation can be one of the safeguards against such pressure. When parents support one another, respect each other’s roles and openly discuss their needs in caring for their child, the burden of parenting can feel lighter.

The researchers linked these findings to the greater caregiving burden that mothers generally carry, including breastfeeding and caring for the baby at night.

On the other hand, fathers who take on the main caregiving role may also experience higher levels of burnout.

Cooperation in childcare can be strengthened through better communication and a clearer division of responsibilities.

For couples experiencing severe stress after the birth of a child, professional support or parent support groups may also help them cope with the burden.