Parental burnout and adolescents’ phubbing: Understanding the role of parental phubbing and adolescents’ psychological distress

Abstract

Given its negative consequences for children's mental health and academic performance, parental burnout has recently drawn researchers’ attention. However, its effects on children's behavior remain unclear. To fill this gap, this study examined the relationship between parental burnout and adolescents’ phubbing as well as the mediating roles of parental phubbing and adolescents’ psychological distress based on the family system theory. This study included 871 adolescents and their primary caregivers. Results indicated positive correlations between parental burnout, parental phubbing, adolescents’ psychological distress and adolescents’ phubbing. Parental burnout had a direct relationship with adolescents’ phubbing; it also had an indirect relationship with adolescents’ phubbing through the independent mediating roles of parental phubbing and adolescents’ psychological distress as well as the chain-mediating roles of these two factors. The findings contribute to our understanding of how parental burnout is related to adolescents’ phubbing and highlight the importance of attending to parental phubbing and adolescents’ psychological distress in preventing and intervening in adolescents’ phubbing.