Parental Burnout Assessment

Are you struggling to keep your head above water in parenthood? Discover your parental burnout profile and avoid drowning in shallow water.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | December 20, 2023

The Parental Burnout Assessment is a comprehensive 23-item self-report questionnaire designed for assessing parental burnout. Developed based on the tridimensional model of professional burnout, the Parental Burnout Assessment comprises three subscales: Emotional Exhaustion (e.g., feeling emotionally drained by the parental role), Emotional Distancing (e.g., sometimes caring for children on autopilot) and Loss of Parental Accomplishment (e.g., a decrease in perceived parental accomplishments).

The Parental Burnout Assessment scale is typically used in research and clinical settings to evaluate and measure the extent of parental burnout experienced by individuals. Researchers may employ this scale in studies investigating the prevalence, risk factors and consequences of parental burnout.

In clinical settings, mental health professionals may use the assessment to identify and address parental burnout in individuals seeking support or counseling. It serves as a valuable tool for understanding the emotional and psychological toll of parenthood and aids in developing targeted interventions to mitigate and prevent parental burnout.

You can take this test here. Follow all of the steps to receive your results.

Step 1: For each of the statements below, indicate how often you face these scenarios on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 = Never, 2 = Occasionally, 3 = Monthly, 4 = Weekly and 5 = daily.

1. I feel completely run down by my role as a parent.

2. I have the sense that I’m really worn out as a parent.

3. I’m so tired out by my role as a parent that sleeping doesn’t seem like enough.

4. When I get up in the morning and have to face another day with my child(ren), I feel exhausted before I’ve even started.

5. I find it exhausting just thinking of everything I have to do for my child(ren).

6. I have zero energy for looking after my child(ren).

7. My role as a parent uses up all my resources.

8. I sometimes have the impression that I'm looking after my child(ren) on autopilot.

9. I’m in survival mode in my role as a parent.

10. I don't think I’m the good father/mother that I used to be to my child(ren).

11. I tell myself that I’m no longer the parent I used to be.

12. I'm ashamed of the parent that I’ve become.

13. I’m no longer proud of myself as a parent.

14. I have the impression that I’m not myself any more when I’m interacting with my child(ren).

15. I feel as though I’ve lost my direction as a dad/mum.

16. I can’t stand my role as father/mother any more.

17. I can’t take being a parent any more.

18. I feel like I can’t take any more as a parent.

19. I feel like I can’t cope as a parent.

20. I don’t enjoy being with my child(ren).

21. I do what I’m supposed to do for my child(ren), but nothing more.

22. Outside the usual routines (lifts in the car, bedtime, meals), I’m no longer able to make an effort for my child(ren).

23. I’m no longer able to show my child(ren) how much I love them.

Step 2: Enter your age, gender, region, and first name so we can provide you with a detailed report that compares your test scores to people similar to you.

What is your age?

What is your gender?

What region of the world do you live in?

What is your first name?

Step 3: Check to make sure you've provided answers to all of the statements/questions above. Once you've done that, click the button below to send your responses to Awake Therapy's Lead Psychologist, Mark Travers, Ph.D. He will provide you with an overview of how you scored relative to others (all answers are anonymized and confidential to protect users' privacy). He can also answer any follow-up questions you may have.

References: Roskam, I., Brianda, M. E., & Mikolajczak, M. (2018). A step forward in the conceptualization and measurement of parental burnout: The Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA). Frontiers in Psychology, 9(2018). 1-12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00758.