Division of parental leave and perceived parenting stress among mothers and fathers

Abstract

Objective: To explore associations between division of parental leave and perceived parenting stress in mothers and fathers of infants.

Background: In Sweden, both parents have the same right to parental leave, and fathers use about a quarter of the total 480 benefit days. Little is known about the parents’ psychological well-being in terms of stress arising from the parenting role and its association with equal or unequal division of parental leave.

Methods: 280 parents completed the Swedish Parenthood Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ) at 6 months and 18 months after childbirth.

Results: Fathers who shared parental leave equally were less affected by perceived parenting stress than those who shared unequally (adjusted B –0.20; 95% CI –0.33 to –0.06). No such association was found among mothers.

Conclusion: Parents’ choices regarding parental leave division were associated with perceived parenting stress among fathers, but not among mothers. Unequal division of leave contributed to parenting stress in fathers.

Keywords:

• Parental leave
• parenting stress
• fathers
• mothers
• parenting

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank all the parents who took part in the study by completing the extensive questionnaires. Sincere thanks are due to the participating nurses for their interest and generous contribution in time and efforts. Thanks to Associate professor Birgitta Wickberg, for her guidance during the research project.