RESEARCH_FILE
Moïra Mikolajczak
UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain)
Known for:Mapping what parental burnout is, what causes it and what it costs — including the balance-of-risks-and-resources model and evidence on its consequences for parents and children.
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“I should enjoy every moment”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Some hours with them are hard or boring. Feeling that is not ingratitude.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
During one ordinary hour with your kids, notice and write down one moment you actually enjoyed and one you didn't. No judgment of the gap. Just observe what was really there.
Key findings
- 2018
Proposed the Balance between Risks and Resources (BR²) model: parental burnout arises when chronic parenting demands outweigh available resources — a systems account, not a character diagnosis. A Theoretical and Clinical Framework for Parental Burnout: The Balance Between Risks and Resources (BR²) ↗
- 2019
With James Gross and Isabelle Roskam, documented that parental burnout has specific, serious consequences — including escape ideation and increases in neglectful and violent behaviors toward one's children — distinct from job burnout and depression. Parental Burnout: What Is It, and Why Does It Matter? ↗
- 2023
Co-authored the 15-year review of parental burnout research, consolidating evidence on its definition, measurement, antecedents (including perfectionistic standards) and consequences, and setting the field's agenda. 15 Years of Parental Burnout Research: Systematic Review and Agenda ↗