The Influence of Work–Family Conflict on Parental Burnout in China: Moderating Effect of Spousal Support and its Gender Differences

Abstract

Objective This research explores the association between work–family conflict and parental burnout, testing the moderating effect of spousal support for men and women. Method We used the Work–Family Conflict Scale, the Intimacy Support Questionnaire, and the Parental Burnout Scale to survey 634 parents (Mage = 36.44 ± 4.28 years, 48.1% mothers) of preschool children. Result The results indicated that work–family conflict positively predicted parental burnout. For fathers, this relationship was significantly moderated by spousal support. As spousal support increased, the impact of work–family conflict on fathers’ parental burnout decreased, whereas for mothers the moderation was nonsignificant, revealing a significant gender difference in the moderating effect. This study elucidates the collaborative influence of spousal support and work–family conflict on parenting burnout across various gender conditions, contributing empirical support for mitigating and remedying parenting burnout. The findings suggest that focusing on establishing and sustaining spousal support resources for fathers could alleviate the adverse impact of work–family conflict on fathers’ parental burnout.