The role of parental burnout in the perception of the executive functions in digital natives after COVID-19
Vincenzo Cascino
This study investigates the relationship between parental burnout and parents’ perception of executive functions in «digital native» children, considering the influence of parental gender and age. The participants consisted of 772 Italian parents (386 mothers and 386 fathers) from Northern Italy, aged between 27 and 57 years. Data were collected using two instruments: the Balance Between Risks and Resources (BR²) questionnaire to measure parental burnout, and the Executive Functioning Self-Report to assess parents’ perceptions of their children’s executive functions. The results did not show a statistically significant association between higher levels of burnout and poorer perceptions of executive functions. However, analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that mothers aged 27-42 and fathers aged 27-34 reported higher burnout scores, and that more negative perceptions of executive functions were observed in the younger parent groups. These findings suggest that the relationship between parental burnout and perceptions of children’s executive functions is multifactorial, and that factors such as gender and parental age require careful consideration. The study highlights the need for further longitudinal research and targeted interventions to support parental well-being in the post-pandemic context.
Keywords
Digital natives, Parental burnout, Perception of executive functions, Balance Between Risks and Resources, Executive Functioning Self-Report, Gender differences, Parental age.
