Khaberni - Researchers at Maria Grzegorzewska University in Warsaw have discovered that difficulty in expressing emotions is linked to higher levels of parental exhaustion, with clear differences between women and men.
Parental exhaustion (related to parenthood) is defined as a persistent feeling of psychological fatigue, emotional distancing from children, and loss of a sense of accomplishment as a parent.
Difficulty in expressing emotions involves difficulty recognizing, describing, and expressing feelings to others.
The study included 440 Polish parents aged between 21 and 61 years, whose children had normal development. Researchers used questionnaires to assess parental exhaustion, difficulty in expressing emotions, and attachment styles (such as avoidance or anxiety towards the parents).
Key Findings
Individuals who have difficulty expressing their emotions suffer from greater parental exhaustion.
Those who tend to avoid in their relationships feel exhausted directly.
Those who feel anxious in their relationships suffer from exhaustion indirectly due to difficulty in expressing emotions.
Gender Differences
Women: Reported less exhaustion and less difficulty expressing emotions compared to men. The relationship with the mother or father affects their feeling of exhaustion, as anxiety increases the difficulty of expressing emotions, which raises exhaustion.
Men: Reported higher levels of exhaustion and greater difficulty in expressing emotions. Avoidance and anxiety towards parents increase the difficulty of expressing emotions, leading to greater exhaustion.
The results suggest that difficulty in expressing emotions plays an important role in increasing parental exhaustion. The researchers emphasize that emotional support for parents should be gender-specific to help them better handle the pressures of parenthood.
The study was published in the journal PLOS One.
