Work

When exhaustion meets permissiveness: a response surface analysis of parental burnout–parenting style interactions on childhood social anxiety

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objective This study examined the interactive effects of parental burnout and parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive) on childhood social anxiety using response surface analysis (RSA). Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted between November and December 2024 in primary schools in Chongqing, China. Participants (parents and their children) were required to complete online questionnaires, including the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA), the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ), and the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC). RSA and polynomial regression models examined the non-linear interactions between parental burnout, parenting styles, and childhood social anxiety. Results A total of 724 datasets were included in the study. The findings indicated that significant congruence effects emerged for permissive parenting and parental burnout, and an inverted U-shaped curvature appeared along the line of incongruence with childhood social anxiety (curvature, a4 = −0.70, p = 0.009; slope a3 = −0.57, p = 0.272). Moreover, the curvature (a2 = −0.28, p = 0.089) and slope (a1 = 0.81, p = 0.068) were measured along the line of congruence, indicating that the line of congruence section curve is linearly rising. Conclusion This study identifies a significant interactive effect between parental burnout and permissive parenting style on childhood social anxiety, highlighting the need for two-pronged interventions. Future research should investigate the longitudinal causal pathways between parental burnout–parenting style congruence and child social anxiety across diverse cultural contexts.

Source: Frontiers in Pediatrics

DOI: 10.3389/fped.2025.1640094

Authors: Peiyi Yang, Lin Yang, Xuerong Liu, Zhengzhi Feng

Institutions: Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Army Medical University, Xinqiao Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801