Measuring parental burnout: Adaptation and validation of the Arabic version of the Parental Burnout Assessment

Abstract

Parental burnout has emerged as a distinct psychological condition with important consequences for parents, children, and family functioning. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Tunisian Arabic adaptation of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) in a sample of 740 Tunisian parents. The sample was randomly divided into independent exploratory (N = 360) and confirmatory (N = 380) subsamples. Participants completed the Tunisian Arabic PBA alongside measures of perceived stress (PSS), psychological resilience (CD-RISC-25), and depressive symptoms (BDI-II). Exploratory factor analysis supported the original four-factor structure, encompassing Exhaustion, Emotional Distancing, Feelings of Being Fed Up, and Contrast with Previous Parental Self. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the four-factor correlated model provided the best fit to the data, while a second-order model further supported the existence of a global parental burnout factor. Measurement invariance across gender was established at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, allowing meaningful comparisons between mothers and fathers. The adapted PBA demonstrated excellent internal consistency, satisfactory temporal stability, and adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Criterion-related validity was supported by strong positive associations with perceived stress and depressive symptoms and a strong negative association with resilience. Hierarchical regression analyses further demonstrated the incremental predictive validity of parental burnout in explaining depressive symptoms beyond demographic variables, perceived stress, and resilience. Gender comparisons revealed higher parental burnout and perceived stress among mothers, whereas no significant gender differences were observed for resilience. Beyond its clinical and family-related implications, the study highlights the relevance of parental burnout to personality psychology by providing a reliable measure for investigating individual differences in psychological functioning and adaptation to sustained parental demands. These findings indicate that the Tunisian Arabic PBA is a reliable, valid, and culturally appropriate instrument for assessing parental burnout in Tunisia and may facilitate future research examining the individual and personality-related factors underlying differences in vulnerability and adaptation to parental burnout.