Introduction: Parental identity refers to the degree to which individuals internalize a specific parenting understanding. Parental identity is a relatively new area in the literatüre and it has been found to significantly influence parenting experiences and both individual and family well-being.
Purpose: This study aimed to examine the roles of parental identity, anxiety levels, and basic psychological needs support in explaining parental burnout. Two models were tested: (1) the mediating role of anxiety in the relationship between parental identity and burnout, and (2) the moderating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction in the relationship between anxiety and burnout.
Method: A relational survey design was employed. Participants consisted of 224 parents (123 mothers, 101 fathers) aged between 21 and 55. Data were collected online via snowball sampling. Measures included a Demographic Information Form, the Parental Burnout Assessment, the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale-Parental Identity, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
Results: Mediation analyses conducted using Hayes' PROCESS macro (Model 4) indicated that higher parental identity was associated with lower anxiety levels, which in turn predicted lower parental burnout. These findings suggest that anxiety fully mediates the relationship between parental identity and burnout. Additionally, a moderation analysis (Model 1) revealed that the level of basic psychological needs satisfaction significantly moderated the relationship between anxiety and burnout. Specifically, the positive association between anxiety and burnout was stronger when needs satisfaction was low and weaker when it was high.
Conclusion: These findings emphasize the protective role of a supportive environment in strengthening parents' psychological resilience. Enhancing parental identity and supporting basic psychological needs may be crucial targets for interventions aiming to prevent parental burnout.