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Review
. 2022;37(5):725-731.
doi: 10.1007/s10896-020-00172-2. Epub 2020 Jun 23.

Parental Burnout and Child Maltreatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Annette K Griffith  1
Affiliations
Review

Parental Burnout and Child Maltreatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Annette K Griffith. J Fam Violence. 2022.

Abstract

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread across the United States, resulting in significant changes in almost all aspects daily life. These changes place parents at increased risk for parental burnout. Parental burnout is a chronic condition resulting from high levels of parenting-related stress due to a mismatch between the demands of parenting and the resources available for parents to meet those demands. Research on parental burnout has suggested that parents who experience burnout are more likely to engage in child abuse and neglect, placing children at risk for detrimental short- and long-term outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to review the concept of parental burnout, discuss parental burnout in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and focus specifically on the effects of child maltreatment. Implications for practitioners will be discussed.

Keywords: Abuse; COVID-19; Child maltreatment; Neglect; Parental burnout.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestI have no known conflict of interest to disclose.

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