IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i16p9791-d883633.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Maternal Competence, Maternal Burnout and Personality Traits in Italian Mothers after the First COVID-19 Lockdown

Author

Listed:
  • Concetta Polizzi

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

  • Giulia Giordano

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

  • Sofia Burgio

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

  • Gioacchino Lavanco

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

  • Marianna Alesi

    (Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy)

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the maternal sense of competence and maternal burnout in Italian mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample was composed of 278 mothers of children/adolescents aged 4 to 17 years old. Participants were recruited after the end of the first spring total Italian lockdown (June–October 2020) through online advertisements on websites and social media. We hypothesized a model in which a specific personality trait, such as neuroticism, affected maternal competence by the mediating role of maternal burnout. Results showed that neuroticism was directly and negatively predictive of perception of maternal competence, and it was negatively associated with maternal burnout, specifically specific antecedents that were strictly related to parental burnout. ANOVA results highlighted that the maternal level of education affected maternal competence in terms of satisfaction. In contrast, the working regimen during the first lockdown for COVID-19 affected maternal competence in terms of efficacy. Maternal burnout was affected by atypical child development in terms of both common (job burnout, stress management abilities) and specific (parental burnout) antecedents. COVID-19 strongly increased the risk of maternal burnout, resulting in mothers having a poor perception of their own competency. This is particularly the case in the presence of a neurotic personality.

Suggested Citation

  • Concetta Polizzi & Giulia Giordano & Sofia Burgio & Gioacchino Lavanco & Marianna Alesi, 2022. "Maternal Competence, Maternal Burnout and Personality Traits in Italian Mothers after the First COVID-19 Lockdown," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:9791-:d:883633
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/16/9791/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/16/9791/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniela Del Boca & Noemi Oggero & Paola Profeta & Maria Cristina Rossi, 2020. "Women's Work, Housework and Childcare, Before and During COVID-19," Working Papers 2020-043, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    2. Daniela Del Boca & Noemi Oggero & Paola Profeta & Maria Cristina Rossi, 2020. "Women’s Work, Housework and Childcare, before and during COVID-19," Carlo Alberto Notebooks 613, Collegio Carlo Alberto.
    3. Selçuk Özdin & Şükriye Bayrak Özdin, 2020. "Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression and health anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic in Turkish society: The importance of gender," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 66(5), pages 504-511, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mario J. Valladares-Garrido & Luis Eduardo Zapata-Castro & Cinthia Karina Picón-Reategui & Ana Paula Mesta-Pintado & Ronald Alberto Picón-Reategui & Mariana Huaman-Garcia & César Johan Pereira-Victori, 2022. "Association between Working Time and Burnout Syndrome in Peruvian Military during the Second Epidemic Wave of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Giulia Giordano & Barbara Caci & Marianna Alesi & Ambra Gentile & Sofia Burgio & Concetta Polizzi, 2024. "Personality Traits and Sociodemographic Variables’ Effects on Parental Burnout During the Second and Fourth COVID-19 Waves in Italian Parents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(11), pages 1-12, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barrero, Jose Maria & Bloom, Nick & Davis, Steven J., 2020. "Why Working From Home Will Stick," SocArXiv wfdbe, Center for Open Science.
    2. Cassandra E DiRienzo & Jayoti Das, 2021. "Formal Female Entrepreneurship and the Shadow Economy," Journal of Economics and Behavioral Studies, AMH International, vol. 13(5), pages 63-72.
    3. Camila Salazar-Fernández & Daniela Palet & Paola A. Haeger & Francisca Román Mella, 2021. "COVID-19 Perceived Impact and Psychological Variables as Predictors of Unhealthy Food and Alcohol Consumption Trajectories: The Role of Gender and Living with Children as Moderators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Jordy Meekes & Wolter H J Hassink & Guyonne Kalb, 2023. "Essential work and emergency childcare: identifying gender differences in COVID-19 effects on labour demand and supply," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 75(2), pages 393-417.
    5. Elisa Brini & Stefani Scherer & Agnese Vitali & Mariya Lenko, 2021. "Retraditionalisation? Work patterns of families with children during the pandemic in Italy," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 45(31), pages 957-972.
    6. Kugler, Maurice & Viollaz, Mariana & Duque, Daniel & Gaddis, Isis & Newhouse, David & Palacios-Lopez, Amparo & Weber, Michael, 2023. "How did the COVID-19 crisis affect different types of workers in the developing world?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    7. Mathias Huebener & Sevrin Waights & C. Katharina Spiess & Nico A. Siegel & Gert G. Wagner, 2021. "Parental well-being in times of Covid-19 in Germany," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 91-122, March.
    8. Daniela Del Boca & Noemi Oggero & Paola Profeta & Maria Cristina Rossi, 2021. "Did COVID-19 Affect the Division of Labor within the Household? Evidence from Two Waves of the Pandemic in Italy," Working Papers 2021-043, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    9. Blázquez, Maite & Herrarte, Ainhoa & Moro-Egido, Ana I., 2024. "Has the COVID-19 pandemic widened the gender gap in paid work hours in Spain?," Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 90(2), pages 313-348, June.
    10. Hugues Champeaux & Francesca Marchetta, 2021. "Couples in lockdown, "La vie en rose" ? Evidence from France," Working Papers hal-03149087, HAL.
    11. Alessandro De Carlo & Damiano Girardi & Laura Dal Corso & Elvira Arcucci & Alessandra Falco, 2022. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind? A Longitudinal Investigation of Smart Working and Burnout in the Context of the Job Demands–Resources Model during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-20, June.
    12. Bonny Yee-Man Wong & Tai-Hing Lam & Agnes Yuen-Kwan Lai & Man Ping Wang & Sai-Yin Ho, 2021. "Perceived Benefits and Harms of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Well-Being and Their Sociodemographic Disparities in Hong Kong: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-14, January.
    13. Bansak, Cynthia & Grossbard, Shoshana & Wong, Crystal (Ho Po), 2021. "Mothers' Caregiving during COVID: The Impact of Divorce Laws and Homeownership on Women's Labor Force Status," IZA Discussion Papers 14408, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Titan Alon & Matthias Doepke & Jane Olmstead-Rumsey, 2020. "This Time It's Different: The Role of Women's Employment in a Pandemic Recession," Working Papers 2020-057, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    15. Atefeh Aghaei & Ran Zhang & Slone Taylor & Cheuk-Chi Tam & Chih-Hsiang Yang & Xiaoming Li & Shan Qiao, 2022. "Social Life of Females with Persistent COVID-19 Symptoms: A Qualitative Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-15, July.
    16. Gema Zamarro & María J. Prados, 2021. "Gender differences in couples’ division of childcare, work and mental health during COVID-19," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 11-40, March.
    17. Maria Di Blasi & Gaia Albano & Giulia Bassi & Elisa Mancinelli & Cecilia Giordano & Claudia Mazzeschi & Chiara Pazzagli & Silvia Salcuni & Gianluca Lo Coco & Omar Carlo Gioacchino Gelo & Gloria Lagett, 2021. "Factors Related to Women’s Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a Two-Wave Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-12, November.
    18. Kezia Ruth October & Lisa Rene’ Petersen & Babatope Adebiyi & Edna Rich & Nicolette Vanessa Roman, 2021. "COVID-19 Daily Realities for Families: A South African Sample," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-18, December.
    19. Monika Queisser, 2021. "COVID-19 and OECD Labour Markets: What Impact on Gender Gaps?," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 56(5), pages 249-253, September.
    20. Boca Daniela del & Oggero Noemi & Profeta Paola & Rossi Maria Cristina, 2022. "The impact of COVID-19 on the gender division of housework and childcare: Evidence from two waves of the pandemic in Italy," IZA Journal of Labor Economics, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:16:p:9791-:d:883633. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.