Self-Compassion on Parental and Job Burnout of Employed Parents: The Mediating Role of Work-Life Conflict

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Women Research Center, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

10.22055/jiops.2026.51256.1540
Abstract
Job burnout is a psychological syndrome that develops from prolonged exposure to chronic interpersonal stressors at work. It is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment and is associated with various adverse outcomes. Its core is an imbalance between environmental demands and supportive resources. Work-family conflict is a predisposing factor. According to conservation of resources theory, individuals have limited resources in work and family domains, and prolonged conflict leads to job burnout. A meta-analysis showed a relatively strong effect of work-family conflict on job burnout. Family responsibilities can also lead to parental burnout. Work-family conflict reduces personal resources and weakens focus on others’ needs. According to the stress-buffering model, protective factors attenuate risk factors. Self-compassion, as an internal resource, is related to job satisfaction and adjustment and buffers work-related burnout. Burnout in occupational and parental aspects among working fathers and mothers, and psychological mediators, requires serious investigation. This study aimed to investigate self-compassion in relation to job and parental burnout among working parents, emphasizing the mediating role of work-family/family-work conflict. The method was descriptive, correlational, and mediation. The population was working fathers and mothers with at least one child at home and a paid job outside. A total of 173 parents, 84 mothers (mean age 41.44 ± 5.68) and 89 fathers (mean age 43.1 ± 5.3), participated. Instruments were the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Unconditional Self-Kindness Scale, Parental Burnout Assessment, and Work-Family Conflict Scale. Analysis used Model 4 of PROCESS and bootstrapping with 5000 resampling iterations. Results showed work-family conflict positively correlated with parental and job burnout. Self-compassion negatively correlated with work-family conflict, parental burnout, and job burnout. Parental and job burnout positively correlated. In mediation, self-compassion negatively affected work-family conflict, family-work conflict, parental burnout, and job burnout. Family-work conflict positively affected parental burnout, but work-family conflict did not. Both conflicts positively affected job burnout. Total effects of self-compassion on parental and job burnout were significant. The indirect path through work-family conflict to parental burnout was not significant, but through family-work conflict was significant. Both indirect paths to job burnout were significant. R² values were .09, .15, .18, and .38. Findings indicate self-compassion as an internal resource in managing work stress and family dynamics, supporting the spillover-crossover model. Cross-sectional limitations suggest qualitative studies on burned-out and non-burned-out working parents.

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  • Receive Date 29 November 2025
  • Revise Date 25 October 2026
  • Accept Date 31 October 2026