Buffering Conflict-Burnout: the Context-Dependent Role of Perceived Social Support Among Chinese Preschool Parents

Buffering Conflict-Burnout: the Context-Dependent Role of Perceived Social Support Among Chinese Preschool Parents | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Buffering Conflict-Burnout: the Context-Dependent Role of Perceived Social Support Among Chinese Preschool Parents Ge Zhao, Mengzhen Chen, Jianmei Gan This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7881844/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In contemporary China, the convergence of parenting responsibilities and work demands has made work–family conflict a significant risk factor for parents’ psychological well-being. Parents of preschool-aged children are particularly vulnerable due to the intensive caregiving tasks required during this developmental stage. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and the stress-buffering model, this study systematically examined the impact of work–family conflict on parental burnout among preschool parents, with a particular focus on the buffering role and contextual boundaries of perceived social support. A total of 657 parents of preschool-aged children in China completed an online questionnaire assessing work–family conflict, parental burnout, and perceived social support. Path analysis revealed that work–family conflict significantly and positively predicted parental burnout. Perceived social support not only directly and negatively predicted burnout but also exerted a significant buffering effect on the link between conflict and burnout. Multi-group analyses further indicated that this buffering effect was context-dependent: its protective function was notably stronger among primary caregivers, parents experiencing high economic stress, and those raising an only child. Based on these findings, the study proposes a context-dependent model of support effectiveness, highlighting that the protective role of social support depends on two contextual dimensions—the intensity of conflict and burnout, and the degree of support–task matching. This research extends the boundary conditions of the stress-buffering framework and provides theoretical and practical insights for identifying high-risk parent groups and designing culturally responsive family support interventions. parental burnout work–family conflict perceived social support parents of preschool children Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction As job flexibility declines and work intensity rises, many parents are compelled to constantly negotiate between demanding work obligations and intensive parenting responsibilities. This dynamic has made work–family conflict a major risk factor affecting both family functioning and parents’ psychological well-being (Liang & Chen, 2025 ). Parental burnout , a syndrome of exhaustion specific to the parenting role, is characterized by emotional and physical depletion, emotional distancing from one’s children, a growing gap between parental expectations and reality, and reduced parental efficacy (Mikolajczak et al., 2023 ). Parents of preschool-aged children are particularly vulnerable in this regard, as they must take on substantial caregiving and educational responsibilities (Yakupova & Suarez, 2023 ; Yılmaz & Göksel, 2025 ). Empirical research consistently shows that their levels of burnout are higher than those of parents with older children (Sorkkila & Aunola, 2022 ; Favez et al., 2022 ). However, existing research has largely treated parents of preschoolers as a homogeneous “at-risk group”, with relatively little attention to within-group differences. Parents may differ substantially in the mechanisms leading to burnout and in the pathways through which protective factors operate, depending on factors such as gender, caregiving roles, and economic conditions. More importantly, the buffering pathways through which protective factors operate may also differ substantially. Overlooking these differences can result in undifferentiated, “one-size-fits-all” interventions and policies, leading to inefficient allocation of resources and reduced effectiveness of support. Addressing this research gap is essential for identifying more specific high-risk subgroups and for informing the development of targeted and culturally responsive support systems. To this end, the present study integrates the stress-buffering model with a contextual perspective to provide a more nuanced account of how perceived social support operates across different family contexts. Theoretical Perspectives Conservation of resources (COR) theory provides a robust theoretical lens for systematically understanding the mechanisms underlying stress and burnout (Hobfoll, 2001 ). This theory posits that individuals are intrinsically motivated to acquire, maintain, and protect valued resources, which include not only material resources (e.g., money) but also conditional resources (e.g., social status), personal resources (e.g., self-esteem, sense of control), and energetic resources (e.g., time, energy). Within this framework, work–family conflict can be conceptualized as a chronic process of resource depletion, continuously draining parents’ psychological and energetic resources and ultimately leading to parental burnout (Mingming et al., 2021 ). This perspective is also supported by role conflict theory, which emphasizes that individuals occupying multiple roles inevitably face competing demands on their time and energy; role overload and incompatibility generate chronic stress (Goode, 1960 ). In contrast, social support functions as a critical source of resource replenishment and protection. It can directly restore depleted resources through emotional comfort and indirectly mitigate further loss through tangible assistance (Mustillo et al., 2021 ). This aligns with the stress-buffering model, which proposes that the protective function of social support is most salient under conditions of high stress (Cohen & Wills, 1985 ). Unlike the homogeneous “main effect”, which highlights the general well-being benefits of social support, the buffering effect emphasizes its role as a psychological shield in the face of stressors. Extending beyond individual and interpersonal factors, ecological systems theory embeds these processes of resource loss and gain within broader sociocultural contexts. A recent systematic review (2010–2023) found that parental burnout stems from a prolonged imbalance between parenting demands and available resources, involving multiple levels of influence—personal and psychological resources, family relationships and social support, and economic and cultural environments (Ren et al., 2024 ). Within this framework, cultural expectations emerge as a critical risk factor (Lin et al., 2023 ). For example, the idealization of motherhood often intensifies parents’ psychological burden, thereby increasing their risk of burnout (Meeussen & Van Laar, 2018). Work-Family Conflict and Parental Burnout Role conflict is a major psychological stressor that depletes emotional resources and increases the risk of burnout (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985 ; Katz & Kahn, 1978 ). Work–family conflict, as the most common form of role conflict, not only predicts occupational burnout but is also closely associated with parental exhaustion (Kunkcu et al., 2025 ). Research based on the actor–partner interdependence model further indicates that parental burnout exerts a significant spillover effect on work-related burnout, with work–family conflict playing a key mediating role in this process (Wang et al., 2022 ). Burnout driven by work–family conflict has multiple consequences across domains. In the family domain, it significantly lowers parents’ fertility intentions by undermining their confidence and motivation to take on intensive parenting responsibilities again (Fu et al., 2025 ). In the occupational domain, the emotional and energetic depletion associated with burnout, along with reduced job satisfaction, threatens mothers’ retention intentions and exacerbates the motherhood penalty (Jung & Song, 2022). Importantly, the impact of work–family conflict on parental burnout is shaped by multilevel factors. At the cultural level, perfectionistic cultural norms tend to amplify its negative effects, whereas collectivist orientations may buffer against them (Roskam et al., 2021 ). At the family level, spousal support plays a critical role. High-quality coparenting and equitable division of responsibilities within the family can effectively protect against burnout (Favez et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2025). At the individual level, parents’ personal traits and resources are decisive. A tendency toward emotional dysregulation intensifies the negative emotional impact of conflict (Brenning et al., 2024 ). In contrast, high level of job satisfaction can serve as an external psychological resource, replenishing the energy depleted in the family domain (De Sousa, 2013 ), while high level of parental satisfaction acts as an internal emotional reward that directly offsets parenting-related stress and frustration, thereby significantly reducing burnout risk (Matias et al., 2017 ). Perceived Social Support as a Buffer Within the Balance between Risks and Resources (BR²) model, social support is placed at the core among various protective resources, as it replenishes parents’ psychological energy and strengthens their coping capacities (Mikolajczak & Roskam, 2018 ). To accurately understand its protective mechanisms, however, it is essential to distinguish between two key constructs: objective, structural social support and subjective, functional perceived social support . The former refers to the objective characteristics of an individual’s social network, such as network size, frequency of contact, or the actual help received support. In contrast, perceived social support reflects a subjective belief that valuable assistance and care will be available from others when needed (Barrera, 1986). Perceived social support is not merely a reflection of external support but represents a stable cognitive tendency that shapes how individuals appraise stress (Lakey & Cassady, 1990 ). Empirical evidence consistently shows that perceived social support is a stronger predictor of psychological well-being and stress buffering than objective support (Haber et al., 2007 ). This is because objective support may not always be needed and, in some cases, can even become a source of additional stress when experienced as intrusive. Perceived social support, on the other hand, functions as a stable, internalized psychological resource that does not depend on actual help-seeking behaviors. Simply holding the belief that “support is available if I need it” enables parents to make more positive cognitive appraisals when facing stress, enhancing their coping efficacy and protecting them from feelings of isolation (Schwarzer & Leppin, 1991 ). Group Analysis of Parental Burnout Although social support has been repeatedly demonstrated as a key protective resource against parental burnout, whether this buffering mechanism operates consistently across different parent groups remains insufficiently examined. Previous research exploring variability in parental burnout has been limited and has primarily focused on parents’ individual characteristics, such as personality traits, temperament types, and emotional regulation capacities, which are closely associated with burnout levels (Piotrowski et al., 2023 ; Tracchegiani & Carone, 2025 ; Sorkkila & Aunola, 2022 ). At the same time, the predominant focus on the high prevalence and severity of maternal burnout in prior studies has inadvertently reinforced the gendered stereotype of “mothers as the primary sufferers” (Roskam et al., 2022 ). Under such circumstances, fathers’ need for protective resources in the context of parenting challenges has been systematically overlooked, resulting in an implicit skew in the design of social support systems (Lebert-Charron et al., 2018 ; Hong et al., 2025 ). More importantly, external contextual factors—such as economic stress, family structure, and primary caregiver status—have not been fully explored in relation to the development of parental burnout. In a large-scale multinational study, Mikolajczak et al. ( 2018 ) found that sociodemographic variables, including gender and family roles, had relatively limited direct predictive effects on parental burnout. This suggests that prior research may have overly simplified these factors as risk indicators while overlooking their potential to influence parental burnout indirectly through moderation of core stress–resource processes. Examining how the balance between risks and resources varies across gender, family roles, and economic conditions—and how these variations shape parents’ burnout and coping patterns under high-stress conditions—may offer novel theoretical insights for more precise identification of high-risk subgroups and provide valuable guidance for designing inclusive, targeted support systems in educational and social policy contexts. The Current Study The present study aims to examine the relationships among work–family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout, and further investigate whether these mechanisms differ across parent subgroups. We focus not only on main and interaction effects but also on potential variations across gender, family structure, caregiving roles, and levels of economic stress. Specifically, this study addresses three core research questions: 1. Do levels of parental burnout, work–family conflict, and perceived social support differ across parent subgroups? 2. What are the relationships among work–family conflict, parental burnout, and perceived social support? 3. Does the buffering effect of perceived social support vary as a function of subgroup differences? Based on existing theoretical and empirical evidence, we propose the following hypotheses: (1) Levels of parental burnout, work–family conflict, and perceived social support will differ across parent subgroups; (2) Work–family conflict will be positively associated with parental burnout, perceived social support will be negatively associated with parental burnout, and perceived social support will significantly moderate the relationship between work–family conflict and parental burnout; (3) The buffering effect of perceived social support will vary significantly across parent subgroups. Method Sample and Procedure . Participants were recruited from ten kindergartens located in China. With the assistance of the kindergarten staff, survey links were distributed to parents through an online platform. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Zhejiang Normal University, and all data collection procedures followed the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. To ensure data quality and sample appropriateness, a rigorous multi-step exclusion procedure was implemented in line with established guidelines. First, questionnaires completed in less than 300 seconds (5 minutes) were excluded to remove inattentive responses. This cutoff was based on pre-testing, which indicated that 300 seconds was the minimum realistic time needed to carefully read and complete the entire questionnaire. This criterion is also consistent with recommended practices for online data quality control (Leiner, 2019 ; Ward & Meade, 2018 ). Second, responses from non-employed parents were excluded, as the work–family conflict scale was not applicable to this group. Third, questionnaires displaying aberrant response patterns (e.g., straight-lining or logically inconsistent answers) were identified and removed. After applying these quality control procedures, a total of 111 responses were excluded. The final valid sample consisted of 657 parents of preschool children, who were included in all subsequent analyses. All participants were from China and had at least one preschool-aged child (0–6 years). The mean age of participants was 35.81 years (SD = 5.15), with 68.8% being mothers. Regarding educational attainment, 53.6% held a bachelor’s degree. Family structures were predominantly nuclear (45.7%) or extended families (52.2%), with a small proportion of divorced (1.4%), blended (0.2%), and single-parent families (0.6%). In terms of caregiving responsibilities, 58.4% of parents reported being the primary caregiver. Regarding occupational status, 72.9% were employed, while 23.1% were self-employed or freelancers. Overall, the sample provides a representative reflection of the demographic characteristics of parents with preschool-aged children in contemporary Chinese families. Measurements Parental Burnout Parental burnout was measured using the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) developed by Roskam et al. ( 2018 ) and the Chinese version revised by Cheng ( 2021 ). This unidimensional scale includes 21 items and uses a 7-point frequency rating (1 = never, 7 = every day) to assess the extent to which parents experience exhaustion in their parental role. In the current sample, the scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.964). Work–Family Conflict Work–family conflict was assessed using the Work–Family Conflict Scale (WAFCS) developed by Haslam et al. ( 2015 ) and validated in Chinese by Ge et al. ( 2023 ), specifically designed for employed parents. The scale contains 10 items divided into two subscales: work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC), each consisting of five items. Items were rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). The original 10-item, two-factor structure yielded a poor fit in our sample (CFI = 0.843, RMSEA = 0.133). Based on an examination of modification indices, items WFC4 and WFC5 were removed due to significant cross-loadings. The revised 8-item model demonstrated a good fit (CFI = 0.950, TLI = 0.926, RMSEA = 0.088, SRMR = 0.042) and was used in all subsequent analyses. Internal consistency for the revised scales was good (WFC α = 0.864; FWC α = 0.872). Perceived Social Support Perceived social support was measured using the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) developed by Zimet et al. ( 1988 ) and the Chinese version revised by Huang et al. ( 1996 ). The scale consists of 12 items across three dimensions: family support, friend support, and other support. Participants responded on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree). Internal consistency in the current sample was high, with Cronbach’s α = 0.887 for family support, α = 0.905 for friend support, α = 0.831 for other support, and α = 0.928 for the total scale. Covariates Participants also reported their gender, age, educational attainment, employment status, family structure, economic stress, primary caregiving role, and number of children. These variables were collected through single-item questions (e.g., “What is your gender?”; “What is your highest level of education?”). Economic stress was assessed using a single item (“To what extent do you experience financial pressure while raising your child?”) on a 5-point scale (1 = never, 5 = almost always). Parents reported the age of each child in years; based on these responses, the age of the youngest child was calculated during data cleaning and used as a grouping variable. Data Analysis The data analysis procedure included preliminary checks and core model testing. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were first conducted, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the measurement models. Model fit was assessed using the following criteria: Comparative Fit Index (CFI) > 0.90, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) > 0.90, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) < 0.08, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) < 0.08 (Hu & Bentler, 1999 ). Subsequently, independent-samples t-tests were used to compare mean differences in measured variables across subgroups. In the core moderation model, all demographic and family characteristics—including parent gender, age, education level, family structure, employment status, caregiver status, number of children, age of the youngest child, and economic stress—were included as covariates to control for their direct effects on parental burnout. The core analyses employed path analysis to test the buffering role of perceived social support, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Group differences were further explored through multi-group path analysis, in which gender, caregiver status, economic stress, children number, and child age were used as grouping variables. Path coefficients were compared under cross-group constraints to identify potential boundary conditions of the buffering effect. To address potential common method variance (CMV) due to the self-report nature of the data, we performed Harman's single-factor test. The first unrotated factor accounted for 36.84% of the total variance, suggesting that CMV was not a serious concern in this study. All item-level missing data were below 2% and were handled using full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimation. Descriptive analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27, and structural equation modeling was conducted in Mplus 8.1. Results Measurement Model Prior to testing the hypotheses, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the structural validity of the measurement model. Based on preliminary analyses indicating poor discriminant validity between friend and other support, these two factors were combined into a single "network support" factor. The final five-factor measurement model—comprising work-to-family conflict (WFC), family-to-work conflict (FWC), parental burnout (PBA), family support (PSSfam), and non-family support (PSSnet)—demonstrated a good fit to the data: χ²(761) = 2023.33, p < .001; CFI = .910; TLI = .903; RMSEA = .050 [90% CI = .048, .053]; SRMR = .046. All standardized factor loadings were significant and substantial, and all constructs showed good internal consistency. Furthermore, discriminant validity was assessed using the Fornell and Larcker ( 1981 ) criterion. The results indicated good discriminant validity, as the square root of the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for each construct was greater than its correlation with any other construct (see Appendix Table A1 for details). These results provide strong evidence for the structural validity of the measures used in this study. Group Differences in Parental Burnout, Work–Family Conflict, and Perceived Social Support Prior to testing the core model, independent-samples t-tests were conducted to examine mean differences in parental burnout, work–family conflict, and perceived social support across subgroups (see Table 1 ). For parental burnout, parents experiencing high economic stress reported significantly higher burnout levels than those in the low-stress group (t = − 5.71, p 0.05). For work–family conflict, mothers reported significantly higher conflict levels than fathers (t = − 2.55, p < 0.05), and parents with high economic stress reported higher conflict than those with low stress (t = − 7.72, p < 0.01). Additionally, parents of children aged 3–6 years reported higher conflict than parents of children aged 0–3 years (t = − 2.30, p < 0.05), and parents of only children reported higher conflict than parents of multiple children (t = 2.99, p < 0.05). For perceived social support, parents experiencing low economic stress reported significantly higher support than those with high economic stress (t = 4.69, p 0.05). Table 1 Descriptive statistics and t-tests of the measured variables Group Variable Subgroup PBA WAFCS PSSS Mean (SD) Differe-nce (t) Mean (SD) Differe-nce (t) Mean (SD) Differe-nce (t) Parental role Mother 1.99 (1.03) -0.95 3.43 (1.16) -2.55* 4.78 (1.16) 1.60 Father 1.91 (0.93) 3.18 (1.14) 4.93 (1.06) Caregiver status Main 2.00 (1.06) 0.99 3.34 (1.19) -0.34 4.86 (1.12) -0.87 Minor 1.92 (0.89) 3.37 (1.13) 4.78 (1.15) Economic stress Low 1.78 (0.81) -5.71** 3.08 (1.07) -7.72** 5.00 (1.08) 4.69** High 2.22 (1.16) 3.76 (1.17) 4.59 (1.16) Child number One 2.02 (1.03) 1.56 3.49(1.16) 2.99* 4.77 (1.15) -1.22 Multiple 1.90 (0.96) 3.22 (1.14) 4.88 (1.10) Child age 0–3 Years 1.96 (1.01) -0.11 3.13 (1.16) -2.30* 4.80 (1.14) -0.26 3–6 Years 1.97 (0.99) 3.40 (1.16) 4.83 (1.13) Adjusted *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01. Correlations among Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Social Support, and Parental Burnout Bivariate correlation analyses indicated that work–family conflict was moderately and positively associated with parental burnout (r = 0.512, p < 0.01). Perceived social support was significantly negatively correlated with both work–family conflict (r = − 0.297, p < 0.01) and parental burnout (r = − 0.287, p < 0.01), suggesting that higher levels of perceived social support were associated with lower levels of both conflict and burnout. Table 2 Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis for each main variable 1 2 3 1.Work-family conflict 1 2.Parental burnout .516** 1 3.Perceived social support − .287** − .297** 1 Mean (SD) 3.36 (0.99) 1.96 (0.99) 4.83 (1.13) Adjusted *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01. The Buffering Effect of Social Support on Parental Burnout To test the buffering effect of perceived social support, we constructed a moderation path model. Following the recommended procedures for moderation analysis (Aiken & West, 1991 ), the continuous predictor (work–family conflict) and the moderator (perceived social support) were mean-centered before creating the interaction term to reduce multicollinearity. To ensure the robustness of our findings, bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals were estimated based on 5,000 draws. After controlling for covariates, the moderation model including perceived social support explained 32.6% of the variance in parental burnout (R² = 0.326). To check for multicollinearity, we calculated the variance inflation factors (VIF) for all predictors. All VIF values were well below the threshold of 10 (Max VIF = 1.25), indicating that multicollinearity was not a concern in our model. As shown in Table 3 and Fig. 1 , work–family conflict significantly and positively predicted parental burnout (β = .44, 95% CI [0.362, 0.510], p < 0.001), whereas the main effect of perceived social support was significantly negative (β = −.14, 95% CI [-0.208, -0.062], p < 0.001). Importantly, the interaction term significantly and negatively predicted parental burnout (β = −.14, 95% CI [-0.224, -0.056], p < 0.001). This significant negative interaction, which accounted for an additional 1.8% of the variance in parental burnout above and beyond the main effects (ΔR² = .018), clearly indicates a robust buffering effect of perceived social support on the relationship between conflict and burnout. Table 3 Results for the moderating effect of perceived social support on the relationship between work-family conflict and parental burnout Predictor B SE β t p Main effects Intercept 2.35 0.38 6.24 < 0.001 c_WFC 0.37 0.03 .44 12.18 < 0.001 c_PSS -0.12 0.03 − .14 -3.95 < 0.001 c_Interaction -0.10 0.02 − .14 -4.28 < 0.001 Control variables role -0.07 0.07 − .03 -0.94 0.347 age -0.01 0.01 − .04 -1.02 0.307 child number 0.02 0.05 .02 0.51 0.612 child age -0.03 0.02 − .05 -1.34 0.181 education 0.02 0.04 .02 0.47 0.637 family structure -0.08 0.06 − .05 -1.52 0.128 caregiver status -0.03 0.04 − .03 -0.84 0.401 employment -0.03 0.04 − .02 -0.67 0.505 economic stress 0.09 0.03 .10 2.90 0.004 Model Information R² 0.326 Simple slope analyses further illustrated the pattern of this interaction (see Fig. 2 ). Among parents with low levels of perceived social support, the association between work–family conflict and parental burnout was stronger (b = 0.49, t = 11.29, p < 0.001), whereas for those with high levels of support, the effect remained significant but was notably attenuated (b = 0.26, t = 6.75, p < 0.001). To further explore the differential roles of various support sources, this study separately examined the moderating effects of family support and network support on the relationship between work-family conflict and parental burnout. The results indicated that both sources of support exerted a significant buffering effect. However, a comparison of the standardized effect coefficients revealed that the buffering effect produced by internal support from family (β = -0.174, p = .001) was substantially stronger than that from external network support from friends and society (β = -0.124, p = .006). Table 4 the Moderating Effects of Different Perceived Social Support Sources Predictor B SE β t p Family Support -0.108 0.035 -0.174 -3.094 0.001 Network Support -0.084 0.031 -0.124 -2.684 0.006 Group Differences in the Buffering Mechanism: A Multi-Group Analysis Prior to conducting the multi-group path analyses, measurement invariance was tested across groups. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance were sequentially examined, and the results showed that both ∆CFI and ∆RMSEA were below the recommended cutoff of 0.010, indicating that the measures were comparable across groups (Cheung & Rensvold, 2002 ). Subsequently, multi-group path analyses were performed to compare the moderating effects of perceived social support across different groups. The significance of the path differences between groups was assessed using the Wald test. Table 5 summarizes the core results for the interaction path (INTR) across all group comparisons, while the full model parameters for each analysis are provided in Appendix (Tables A2 - A6 ). For parental gender, the interaction effect was significant among mothers (β = −0.16, SE = 0.03, p < 0.001), whereas it reached a marginal level of significance among fathers (β = −0.01, SE = 0.04, p = 0.080). The difference in path coefficients between the two groups was not significant (b = 0.04, p = 0.42). For caregiving role, the interaction effect was highly significant among primary caregivers (β = −0.18, p < 0.001) but not among secondary caregivers (β = −0.07, p = 0.19). The difference in path coefficients approached significance (b = 0.09, p = 0.06). For economic stress, the interaction effect was significant only in the high-stress group (β = −0.16, SE = 0.04, p = 0.004), whereas it was not significant in the low-stress group (β = −0.05, SE = 0.03, p = 0.28). For number of children, the buffering effect of perceived social support was highly significant among parents with a single child (β = −0.19, p < 0.001) but not among parents with multiple children (β = −0.07, p = 0.18). The difference in path coefficients was marginally significant (b = − 0.08, p = 0.10). Finally, for child age, the interaction effect was not significant among parents of 0–3-year-old children (β = −0.10, SE = 0.06, p = 0.24) but was significant among parents of 3–6-year-old children (β = −0.15, SE = 0.03, p < 0.001). Table 5 Summary of Multigroup Path Analyses for the Moderating Effect of Perceived Social Support Group Variable Subgroup β SE p Path Difference b p Parental role Mother -0.16 0.03 < 0.001 0.04 0.42 Father -0.01 0.04 0.08 Caregiver status Main -0.18 0.03 < 0.001 0.09 0.06 Minor -0.07 0.04 0.19 Economic stress Low -0.05 0.03 0.28 0.08 0.11 High -0.16 0.04 0.004 Child number One -0.19 0.03 < 0.001 -0.08 0.10 Multiple -0.07 0.04 0.18 Child age 0–3 Years -0.10 0.06 0.24 0.04 0.58 3–6 Years -0.15 0.03 < 0.001 Discussion This study systematically examined the relationships among work–family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout among Chinese parents of preschool children, with a particular focus on the boundary conditions of the buffering role of perceived social support. The findings revealed a clear hierarchical pattern. At the descriptive level, the study identified parents experiencing high economic stress, mothers, and parents of only children as at-risk groups characterized by higher levels of conflict and burnout. At the mechanistic level, perceived social support demonstrated a robust buffering effect, with family support emerging as the most critical source of protection. At the conditional level, multi-group analyses delineated the boundaries of this buffering mechanism, showing stronger effects among primary caregivers, parents of only children, and those under high economic stress. Together, these findings offer new insights into the stress and coping processes of Chinese parents of preschoolers and provide important implications for designing targeted family support policies. Identifying At-Risk Groups: Group Differences in Key Variables Consistent with Hypothesis 1, descriptive analyses revealed significant mean-level differences in key variables across groups, providing preliminary evidence for identifying parents at elevated risk. These differences reflect not only statistical patterns but also underlying disparities in resource depletion and stress exposure associated with socioeconomic status and family roles. Economic stress emerged as the primary factor distinguishing high-risk from low-risk groups. Parents experiencing high economic stress reported the highest levels of parental burnout and work–family conflict, as well as the lowest levels of perceived social support. This “high-stress–low-resource” profile is consistent with the conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 2001 ), which posits that stress intensifies when individuals face resource loss without sufficient compensatory support. Second, the present findings challenge the conventional notion that parental burnout predominantly affects mothers. No significant gender differences were observed in parental burnout levels, which contradicts gender difference models but aligns with the gender similarities hypothesis (Hyde, 2005 ), suggesting that men and women are far more similar than different in most psychological variables and mechanisms. However, mothers reported significantly higher levels of work–family conflict than fathers. This pattern may reflect the persistent structural expectations in contemporary Chinese society, in which mothers continue to bear a disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities and emotional labor—the so-called second shift (Hochschild & Machung, 2012 )—despite fathers’ increasing involvement in childrearing. Although this discrepancy has not yet translated into higher levels of parental burnout for mothers, it may constitute an underlying mechanism contributing to the motherhood penalty in women’s career trajectories (Mu et al., 2016). Finally, child- and family-structure characteristics revealed additional patterns. Contrary to some expectations, parents of only children reported higher levels of work–family conflict than those with multiple children. This may reflect the culturally embedded phenomenon of intensive parenting in one-child families in China (Gu, 2021 ), where parents tend to invest disproportionately high levels of time, energy, and emotional resources to secure advantages for their child in a competitive social environment (Bryzek et al., 2024 ). Such intensive investment naturally heightens conflict with work roles. In addition, parents of children aged 3–6 reported higher levels of work–family conflict than those of children aged 0–3. This likely reflects the developmental shift as children enter the preschool years, during which parenting tasks move beyond basic physical care toward more complex educational guidance, behavioral regulation, and socioemotional support—demands that place greater strain on parents’ time and cognitive resources (Piotrowski et al., 2023 ). The Buffering Effect of Perceived Social Support: Examining Core Mechanisms in the Conflict–Burnout Link After identifying at-risk groups, we further tested Hypothesis 2 concerning the dynamic relations among core variables, aiming to uncover the underlying mechanisms through which stress is transformed into parental burnout. The results largely supported the predictions of both Conservation of Resources theory and the stress-buffering model: work–family conflict can be conceptualized as a continuous resource depletion process and was positively associated with parental burnout. In contrast, perceived social support, as a crucial external resource, was negatively associated with both conflict and burnout, exerting a significant buffering effect in the transmission of stress to burnout. This finding extends the applicability of the stress-buffering model (Cohen & Wills, 1985 ) by providing localized evidence among Chinese preschool parents, a population facing particularly high levels of stress. Furthermore, by decomposing perceived social support into its sources—family support and network support—we enriched the empirical literature on the structure and function of social support. All two sources showed significant interaction effects in the conflict–burnout pathway, indicating a broad-spectrum protective role of perceived support, consistent with the findings of Li et al. ( 2021 ). More importantly, family support exhibited the largest buffering coefficient in the standardized model, suggesting that it may play the most central buffering role in this context. Given the prominence of family cohesion and kinship networks in Chinese culture (Lei & Kantor, 2021 ), this result aligns well with theoretical expectations. When Support Works: Toward a Context-Dependent Model of Support Effectiveness Based on these findings, this study proposes a context-dependent model of support effectiveness . This model extends the traditional stress-buffering framework by conceptualizing perceived social support as a contextually activated psychological resource. Its buffering function depends on two key contextual dimensions: the intensity of conflict and burnout, and the degree of support–task matching. Specifically, the protective role of perceived social support is most strongly activated when parents face higher levels of work–family conflict and parental burnout, and when the type of support they receive aligns with the resource demands of their specific parenting challenges. By delineating the contextual boundaries of support effects, this model provides a more nuanced theoretical lens for understanding the variability of support effectiveness across different family contexts. First, we found that the buffering effect of perceived social support was significantly stronger among groups experiencing high levels of conflict and resource strain, reflecting a typical “timely help” pattern. This was evident among primary caregivers, parents of only children, and families facing high economic stress—groups that not only exhibited high levels of work–family conflict and parental burnout but also represented contexts in which support effects were most fully activated. In other words, the protective role of perceived support was more pronounced under conditions of heightened stress and resource scarcity, consistent with the buffering hypothesis under high-stress conditions (Rui & Guo, 2023 ). Second, age-based subgroup analyses further highlighted the importance of the matching hypothesis (Schmiedl et al., 2022 ). Parents of children aged 0–3 face primarily physiological and resource-draining challenges (e.g., sleep deprivation, frequent feeding), which rely heavily on instrumental support (Hong et al., 2023 ). In such cases, emotional or informational support may not readily translate into tangible relief. In contrast, parents of 3–6-year-old children face more cognitive and emotional challenges related to rule-setting, emotion regulation, and educational pressure. Here, emotional and informational support from peers—particularly from other parents with caregiving experience—facilitates cognitive reframing and emotional adjustment (Qiu & Shum, 2022 ), thereby mitigating the impact of work–family conflict on parental burnout. Although this study focused on Chinese parents, the mechanisms revealed—context-dependent support effects and the matching principle—appear to have cross-cultural relevance. Similar patterns have been observed in research on occupational burnout in Western contexts (Hartley & Coffee, 2019 ), suggesting that the mechanisms identified here may reflect more general psychological processes rather than culturally specific phenomena. Significance and Implications This study provides methodological, theoretical, and practical insights into understanding and addressing parental burnout among Chinese parents of preschool-aged children. Methodologically, it proposes a systematic analytical framework that progresses from identifying at-risk groups through mean-level differences, to testing the core moderating effects, and finally to using multi-group path analysis to delineate the boundary conditions of these effects. Unlike the conventional “one-size-fits-all” approach to examining support effects, this framework uncovers the contextual heterogeneity of perceived support, offering a replicable methodological template for future research. Theoretically, the findings not only extend the applicability of conservation of resources theory and the stress-buffering model but also advance a context-dependent model of support effectiveness. This model highlights that the protective function of perceived social support depends on the intensity of conflict and burnout as well as the degree of support–task matching. The results further underscore the central role of family-based support in the Chinese cultural context, suggesting that the effectiveness of perceived support is shaped by both the nature of stressors and the surrounding sociocultural environment, rather than being uniform across contexts. Practically, the findings offer targeted implications for intervention and policy. At the individual level, parents should prioritize strengthening intra-family support systems and strategically seek effective support aligned with their specific parenting stage and stress profile. At the systemic level, support mechanisms must be built on empirically identified risk factors rather than on traditional role-based assumptions. Furthermore, family-friendly policies and community support networks should be tailored to align with cultural characteristics and the specific needs of parent groups to effectively mitigate parental burnout. Limitations and Future Direction Several limitations of this study point to fruitful directions for future research on parental stress and social support. Firstly, the cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal inferences. Although significant associations were found among work–family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout, the temporal ordering of these variables remains unclear. Future studies should adopt longitudinal designs to track their dynamic interplay over time, thereby clarifying causal pathways. Secondly, the measurement of core variables relied primarily on parental self-reports, which may introduce common method bias. Future work could strengthen validity by incorporating multiple data sources (e.g., partner reports, teacher ratings) and methods (e.g., behavioral observations, physiological indicators) to triangulate the burnout process. Thirdly, while the study examined boundary conditions of the buffering effect through demographic variables, it may have overlooked the critical role of individual psychological characteristics. Stress and coping theories emphasize that individuals’ appraisal and response to stress are strongly influenced by stable traits such as resilience and emotion regulation capacities. Future research should integrate both contextual and dispositional factors into a comprehensive framework to inform more personalized intervention strategies. Fourthly, the sample was primarily recruited through online platforms, which may limit the external validity of the findings. Future studies should draw on larger, nationally representative, and more diverse samples to examine the robustness and generalizability of the conclusions. Conclusions This study systematically examined the relationships among parental burnout, work–family conflict, perceived social support among Chinese parents of preschool-aged children. Parents experiencing high economic pressure, holding primary caregiving responsibilities, or raising an only child emerged as higher-risk groups, reporting elevated levels of both conflict and burnout. At the mechanism level, perceived social support was found to exert a significant buffering effect, with family support playing the most central role. Multi-group analyses further revealed the context-dependent nature of this buffering effect: its protective function was particularly pronounced among parents under high economic stress, those raising an only child, and primary caregivers. Overall, this research illuminates the core associations linking work–family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout, while delineating the boundaries of the support effect. These insights are distilled into a context-dependent model of support effectiveness, which refines the traditional stress-buffering framework and provides a novel theoretical lens for understanding how social support functions across different risk contexts. Declarations Author Contribution G.Z. wrote the main manuscript text and prepared all figures and tables. J.G. collected the data. M.C. revised the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript. Data Availability The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. References Aiken, L. S., & West, S. G. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions . Sage. Barrera Jr, M. (1986). Distinctions between social support concepts, measures, and models. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7881844","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":596450235,"identity":"81470e42-a024-4d3a-8541-e627511b4e67","order_by":0,"name":"Ge Zhao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zhejiang Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ge","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""},{"id":596450237,"identity":"afac571e-db5d-451a-891d-b23067e493ae","order_by":1,"name":"Mengzhen Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zhejiang Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mengzhen","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":596450239,"identity":"769e5e46-eb99-4d33-8c12-5099d71e9687","order_by":2,"name":"Jianmei Gan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAxklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACfvnjBx98+GEjZ3+8gUgtkjN4kg1n9qQZM5w5QKQWgxkMZtIcbIcTGW4kEKtFuiFNmoHncALjzMcbbzDU2EQT1GIuc/CwdYFFeh6zdFqxBcOxtNwGQlosGxISb8/gsS5mk84xk2BsOExYi8GBBANpHjbmxB7JM8RquZFgBNTinDhDgodILZI9ZyCBbMAD9EsCMX7hZ2+HRKUB++GNNz7U2BDWguJIiQRSlEO0kKpjFIyCUTAKRgYAAP5PQFMn1A7gAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Zhejiang Normal University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jianmei","middleName":"","lastName":"Gan","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-17 02:23:36","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7881844/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7881844/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":103597035,"identity":"53fa21a6-3596-418c-aa0a-42d3d4c297d0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-27 13:22:37","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":282550,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eThe hypothesized model of perceived social support as a moderator of the relationship between work-family conflict and parental burnout\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7881844/v1/0c3e60f57be2ac765525a639.png"},{"id":103597036,"identity":"eedf255d-ad79-4051-bb10-63f68a375aef","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-27 13:22:37","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":115165,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSimple slopes of the interaction between work-family conflict and perceived social support in predicting parental burnout\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7881844/v1/ea057c336604d1e1a9a40a47.png"},{"id":104398874,"identity":"bc0d82cc-e6e8-4934-b36b-6e110ef824a9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-11 12:04:06","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1512950,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7881844/v1/eb31ae59-9f80-4f6d-a416-4fb390358f8c.pdf"},{"id":103597037,"identity":"089443b9-8f8e-4e4e-8035-3f5aba36d87b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-27 13:22:37","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":23490,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Appendix.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7881844/v1/11981f25e12e434475f189f0.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Buffering Conflict-Burnout: the Context-Dependent Role of Perceived Social Support Among Chinese Preschool Parents","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eAs job flexibility declines and work intensity rises, many parents are compelled to constantly negotiate between demanding work obligations and intensive parenting responsibilities. This dynamic has made \u003cem\u003ework\u0026ndash;family conflict\u003c/em\u003e a major risk factor affecting both family functioning and parents\u0026rsquo; psychological well-being (Liang \u0026amp; Chen, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). \u003cem\u003eParental burnout\u003c/em\u003e, a syndrome of exhaustion specific to the parenting role, is characterized by emotional and physical depletion, emotional distancing from one\u0026rsquo;s children, a growing gap between parental expectations and reality, and reduced parental efficacy (Mikolajczak et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Parents of preschool-aged children are particularly vulnerable in this regard, as they must take on substantial caregiving and educational responsibilities (Yakupova \u0026amp; Suarez, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Yılmaz \u0026amp; G\u0026ouml;ksel, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Empirical research consistently shows that their levels of burnout are higher than those of parents with older children (Sorkkila \u0026amp; Aunola, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Favez et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, existing research has largely treated parents of preschoolers as a homogeneous \u0026ldquo;at-risk group\u0026rdquo;, with relatively little attention to within-group differences. Parents may differ substantially in the mechanisms leading to burnout and in the pathways through which protective factors operate, depending on factors such as gender, caregiving roles, and economic conditions. More importantly, the buffering pathways through which protective factors operate may also differ substantially. Overlooking these differences can result in undifferentiated, \u0026ldquo;one-size-fits-all\u0026rdquo; interventions and policies, leading to inefficient allocation of resources and reduced effectiveness of support. Addressing this research gap is essential for identifying more specific high-risk subgroups and for informing the development of targeted and culturally responsive support systems. To this end, the present study integrates the stress-buffering model with a contextual perspective to provide a more nuanced account of how perceived social support operates across different family contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTheoretical Perspectives\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConservation of resources (COR) theory provides a robust theoretical lens for systematically understanding the mechanisms underlying stress and burnout (Hobfoll, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e). This theory posits that individuals are intrinsically motivated to acquire, maintain, and protect valued resources, which include not only material resources (e.g., money) but also conditional resources (e.g., social status), personal resources (e.g., self-esteem, sense of control), and energetic resources (e.g., time, energy). Within this framework, work\u0026ndash;family conflict can be conceptualized as a chronic process of resource depletion, continuously draining parents\u0026rsquo; psychological and energetic resources and ultimately leading to parental burnout (Mingming et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This perspective is also supported by role conflict theory, which emphasizes that individuals occupying multiple roles inevitably face competing demands on their time and energy; role overload and incompatibility generate chronic stress (Goode, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1960\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn contrast, social support functions as a critical source of resource replenishment and protection. It can directly restore depleted resources through emotional comfort and indirectly mitigate further loss through tangible assistance (Mustillo et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This aligns with the stress-buffering model, which proposes that the protective function of social support is most salient under conditions of high stress (Cohen \u0026amp; Wills, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1985\u003c/span\u003e). Unlike the homogeneous \u0026ldquo;main effect\u0026rdquo;, which highlights the general well-being benefits of social support, the buffering effect emphasizes its role as a psychological shield in the face of stressors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExtending beyond individual and interpersonal factors, ecological systems theory embeds these processes of resource loss and gain within broader sociocultural contexts. A recent systematic review (2010\u0026ndash;2023) found that parental burnout stems from a prolonged imbalance between parenting demands and available resources, involving multiple levels of influence\u0026mdash;personal and psychological resources, family relationships and social support, and economic and cultural environments (Ren et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Within this framework, cultural expectations emerge as a critical risk factor (Lin et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). For example, the idealization of motherhood often intensifies parents\u0026rsquo; psychological burden, thereby increasing their risk of burnout (Meeussen \u0026amp; Van Laar, 2018).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eWork-Family Conflict and Parental Burnout\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eRole conflict\u003c/em\u003e is a major psychological stressor that depletes emotional resources and increases the risk of burnout (Greenhaus \u0026amp; Beutell, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1985\u003c/span\u003e; Katz \u0026amp; Kahn, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1978\u003c/span\u003e). Work\u0026ndash;family conflict, as the most common form of role conflict, not only predicts occupational burnout but is also closely associated with parental exhaustion (Kunkcu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Research based on the actor\u0026ndash;partner interdependence model further indicates that parental burnout exerts a significant spillover effect on work-related burnout, with work\u0026ndash;family conflict playing a key mediating role in this process (Wang et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBurnout driven by work\u0026ndash;family conflict has multiple consequences across domains. In the family domain, it significantly lowers parents\u0026rsquo; fertility intentions by undermining their confidence and motivation to take on intensive parenting responsibilities again (Fu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). In the occupational domain, the emotional and energetic depletion associated with burnout, along with reduced job satisfaction, threatens mothers\u0026rsquo; retention intentions and exacerbates the \u003cem\u003emotherhood penalty\u003c/em\u003e (Jung \u0026amp; Song, 2022).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImportantly, the impact of work\u0026ndash;family conflict on parental burnout is shaped by multilevel factors. At the cultural level, perfectionistic cultural norms tend to amplify its negative effects, whereas collectivist orientations may buffer against them (Roskam et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). At the family level, spousal support plays a critical role. High-quality coparenting and equitable division of responsibilities within the family can effectively protect against burnout (Favez et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2025). At the individual level, parents\u0026rsquo; personal traits and resources are decisive. A tendency toward emotional dysregulation intensifies the negative emotional impact of conflict (Brenning et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). In contrast, high level of job satisfaction can serve as an external psychological resource, replenishing the energy depleted in the family domain (De Sousa, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), while high level of parental satisfaction acts as an internal emotional reward that directly offsets parenting-related stress and frustration, thereby significantly reducing burnout risk (Matias et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePerceived Social Support as a Buffer\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the Balance between Risks and Resources (BR\u0026sup2;) model, social support is placed at the core among various protective resources, as it replenishes parents\u0026rsquo; psychological energy and strengthens their coping capacities (Mikolajczak \u0026amp; Roskam, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). To accurately understand its protective mechanisms, however, it is essential to distinguish between two key constructs: objective, structural social support and subjective, functional \u003cem\u003eperceived social support\u003c/em\u003e. The former refers to the objective characteristics of an individual\u0026rsquo;s social network, such as network size, frequency of contact, or the actual help received support. In contrast, perceived social support reflects a subjective belief that valuable assistance and care will be available from others when needed (Barrera, 1986). Perceived social support is not merely a reflection of external support but represents a stable cognitive tendency that shapes how individuals appraise stress (Lakey \u0026amp; Cassady, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1990\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmpirical evidence consistently shows that perceived social support is a stronger predictor of psychological well-being and stress buffering than objective support (Haber et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e). This is because objective support may not always be needed and, in some cases, can even become a source of additional stress when experienced as intrusive. Perceived social support, on the other hand, functions as a stable, internalized psychological resource that does not depend on actual help-seeking behaviors. Simply holding the belief that \u0026ldquo;support is available if I need it\u0026rdquo; enables parents to make more positive cognitive appraisals when facing stress, enhancing their coping efficacy and protecting them from feelings of isolation (Schwarzer \u0026amp; Leppin, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGroup Analysis of Parental Burnout\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough social support has been repeatedly demonstrated as a key protective resource against parental burnout, whether this buffering mechanism operates consistently across different parent groups remains insufficiently examined. Previous research exploring variability in parental burnout has been limited and has primarily focused on parents\u0026rsquo; individual characteristics, such as personality traits, temperament types, and emotional regulation capacities, which are closely associated with burnout levels (Piotrowski et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Tracchegiani \u0026amp; Carone, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e; Sorkkila \u0026amp; Aunola, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). At the same time, the predominant focus on the high prevalence and severity of maternal burnout in prior studies has inadvertently reinforced the gendered stereotype of \u0026ldquo;mothers as the primary sufferers\u0026rdquo; (Roskam et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Under such circumstances, fathers\u0026rsquo; need for protective resources in the context of parenting challenges has been systematically overlooked, resulting in an implicit skew in the design of social support systems (Lebert-Charron et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Hong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMore importantly, external contextual factors\u0026mdash;such as economic stress, family structure, and primary caregiver status\u0026mdash;have not been fully explored in relation to the development of parental burnout. In a large-scale multinational study, Mikolajczak et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) found that sociodemographic variables, including gender and family roles, had relatively limited direct predictive effects on parental burnout. This suggests that prior research may have overly simplified these factors as risk indicators while overlooking their potential to influence parental burnout indirectly through moderation of core stress\u0026ndash;resource processes. Examining how the balance between risks and resources varies across gender, family roles, and economic conditions\u0026mdash;and how these variations shape parents\u0026rsquo; burnout and coping patterns under high-stress conditions\u0026mdash;may offer novel theoretical insights for more precise identification of high-risk subgroups and provide valuable guidance for designing inclusive, targeted support systems in educational and social policy contexts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Current Study\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present study aims to examine the relationships among work\u0026ndash;family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout, and further investigate whether these mechanisms differ across parent subgroups. We focus not only on main and interaction effects but also on potential variations across gender, family structure, caregiving roles, and levels of economic stress.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecifically, this study addresses three core research questions:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1. Do levels of parental burnout, work\u0026ndash;family conflict, and perceived social support differ across parent subgroups?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e2. What are the relationships among work\u0026ndash;family conflict, parental burnout, and perceived social support?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e3. Does the buffering effect of perceived social support vary as a function of subgroup differences?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on existing theoretical and empirical evidence, we propose the following hypotheses: (1) Levels of parental burnout, work\u0026ndash;family conflict, and perceived social support will differ across parent subgroups; (2) Work\u0026ndash;family conflict will be positively associated with parental burnout, perceived social support will be negatively associated with parental burnout, and perceived social support will significantly moderate the relationship between work\u0026ndash;family conflict and parental burnout; (3) The buffering effect of perceived social support will vary significantly across parent subgroups.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Method","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSample and Procedure\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e. Participants were recruited from ten kindergartens located in China. With the assistance of the kindergarten staff, survey links were distributed to parents through an online platform. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Zhejiang Normal University, and all data collection procedures followed the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e To ensure data quality and sample appropriateness, a rigorous multi-step exclusion procedure was implemented in line with established guidelines. First, questionnaires completed in less than 300 seconds (5 minutes) were excluded to remove inattentive responses. This cutoff was based on pre-testing, which indicated that 300 seconds was the minimum realistic time needed to carefully read and complete the entire questionnaire. This criterion is also consistent with recommended practices for online data quality control (Leiner, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Ward \u0026amp; Meade, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Second, responses from non-employed parents were excluded, as the work\u0026ndash;family conflict scale was not applicable to this group. Third, questionnaires displaying aberrant response patterns (e.g., straight-lining or logically inconsistent answers) were identified and removed. After applying these quality control procedures, a total of 111 responses were excluded. The final valid sample consisted of 657 parents of preschool children, who were included in all subsequent analyses.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll participants were from China and had at least one preschool-aged child (0\u0026ndash;6 years). The mean age of participants was 35.81 years (SD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.15), with 68.8% being mothers. Regarding educational attainment, 53.6% held a bachelor\u0026rsquo;s degree. Family structures were predominantly nuclear (45.7%) or extended families (52.2%), with a small proportion of divorced (1.4%), blended (0.2%), and single-parent families (0.6%). In terms of caregiving responsibilities, 58.4% of parents reported being the primary caregiver. Regarding occupational status, 72.9% were employed, while 23.1% were self-employed or freelancers. Overall, the sample provides a representative reflection of the demographic characteristics of parents with preschool-aged children in contemporary Chinese families.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMeasurements\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eParental Burnout\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eParental burnout was measured using the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) developed by Roskam et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) and the Chinese version revised by Cheng (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This unidimensional scale includes 21 items and uses a 7-point frequency rating (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;never, 7\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;every day) to assess the extent to which parents experience exhaustion in their parental role. In the current sample, the scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.964).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eWork\u0026ndash;Family Conflict\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWork\u0026ndash;family conflict was assessed using the Work\u0026ndash;Family Conflict Scale (WAFCS) developed by Haslam et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e) and validated in Chinese by Ge et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), specifically designed for employed parents. The scale contains 10 items divided into two subscales: work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC), each consisting of five items. Items were rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly disagree, 7\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly agree). The original 10-item, two-factor structure yielded a poor fit in our sample (CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.843, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.133). Based on an examination of modification indices, items WFC4 and WFC5 were removed due to significant cross-loadings. The revised 8-item model demonstrated a good fit (CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.950, TLI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.926, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.088, SRMR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.042) and was used in all subsequent analyses. Internal consistency for the revised scales was good (WFC α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.864; FWC α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.872).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePerceived Social Support\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerceived social support was measured using the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) developed by Zimet et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1988\u003c/span\u003e) and the Chinese version revised by Huang et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1996\u003c/span\u003e). The scale consists of 12 items across three dimensions: family support, friend support, and other support. Participants responded on a 7-point Likert scale (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly disagree, 7\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;strongly agree). Internal consistency in the current sample was high, with Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.887 for family support, α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.905 for friend support, α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.831 for other support, and α\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.928 for the total scale.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCovariates\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants also reported their gender, age, educational attainment, employment status, family structure, economic stress, primary caregiving role, and number of children. These variables were collected through single-item questions (e.g., \u0026ldquo;What is your gender?\u0026rdquo;; \u0026ldquo;What is your highest level of education?\u0026rdquo;). Economic stress was assessed using a single item (\u0026ldquo;To what extent do you experience financial pressure while raising your child?\u0026rdquo;) on a 5-point scale (1\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;never, 5\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;almost always). Parents reported the age of each child in years; based on these responses, the age of the youngest child was calculated during data cleaning and used as a grouping variable.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe data analysis procedure included preliminary checks and core model testing. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were first conducted, followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the measurement models. Model fit was assessed using the following criteria: Comparative Fit Index (CFI)\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.90, Tucker\u0026ndash;Lewis Index (TLI)\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.90, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA)\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.08, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR)\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.08 (Hu \u0026amp; Bentler, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1999\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSubsequently, independent-samples t-tests were used to compare mean differences in measured variables across subgroups. In the core moderation model, all demographic and family characteristics\u0026mdash;including parent gender, age, education level, family structure, employment status, caregiver status, number of children, age of the youngest child, and economic stress\u0026mdash;were included as covariates to control for their direct effects on parental burnout. The core analyses employed path analysis to test the buffering role of perceived social support, with statistical significance set at p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05. Group differences were further explored through multi-group path analysis, in which gender, caregiver status, economic stress, children number, and child age were used as grouping variables. Path coefficients were compared under cross-group constraints to identify potential boundary conditions of the buffering effect.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo address potential common method variance (CMV) due to the self-report nature of the data, we performed Harman's single-factor test. The first unrotated factor accounted for 36.84% of the total variance, suggesting that CMV was not a serious concern in this study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll item-level missing data were below 2% and were handled using full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimation. Descriptive analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27, and structural equation modeling was conducted in Mplus 8.1.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eMeasurement Model\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrior to testing the hypotheses, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to evaluate the structural validity of the measurement model. Based on preliminary analyses indicating poor discriminant validity between friend and other support, these two factors were combined into a single \"network support\" factor.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe final five-factor measurement model\u0026mdash;comprising work-to-family conflict (WFC), family-to-work conflict (FWC), parental burnout (PBA), family support (PSSfam), and non-family support (PSSnet)\u0026mdash;demonstrated a good fit to the data: χ\u0026sup2;(761)\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2023.33, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001; CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.910; TLI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.903; RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.050 [90% CI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.048, .053]; SRMR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.046. All standardized factor loadings were significant and substantial, and all constructs showed good internal consistency.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, discriminant validity was assessed using the Fornell and Larcker (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1981\u003c/span\u003e) criterion. The results indicated good discriminant validity, as the square root of the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for each construct was greater than its correlation with any other construct (see Appendix Table A1 for details). These results provide strong evidence for the structural validity of the measures used in this study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eGroup Differences in Parental Burnout, Work\u0026ndash;Family Conflict, and Perceived Social Support\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrior to testing the core model, independent-samples t-tests were conducted to examine mean differences in parental burnout, work\u0026ndash;family conflict, and perceived social support across subgroups (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor parental burnout, parents experiencing high economic stress reported significantly higher burnout levels than those in the low-stress group (t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;5.71, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). No significant differences were observed across gender, caregiving role, number of children, or child age groups (all ps\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor work\u0026ndash;family conflict, mothers reported significantly higher conflict levels than fathers (t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2.55, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), and parents with high economic stress reported higher conflict than those with low stress (t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;7.72, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). Additionally, parents of children aged 3\u0026ndash;6 years reported higher conflict than parents of children aged 0\u0026ndash;3 years (t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;2.30, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), and parents of only children reported higher conflict than parents of multiple children (t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.99, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor perceived social support, parents experiencing low economic stress reported significantly higher support than those with high economic stress (t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.69, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). No other subgroup differences were significant (all ps\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics and t-tests of the measured variables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup Variable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSubgroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePBA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWAFCS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePSSS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean (SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiffere-nce (t)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean (SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiffere-nce (t)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean (SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiffere-nce (t)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParental role\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMother\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.99 (1.03)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.43 (1.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-2.55*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.78 (1.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFather\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.91 (0.93)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.18 (1.14)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.93 (1.06)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCaregiver status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.00 (1.06)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.99\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.34 (1.19)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.86 (1.12)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.87\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.92 (0.89)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.37 (1.13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.78 (1.15)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEconomic stress\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.78 (0.81)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-5.71**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.08 (1.07)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-7.72**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.00 (1.08)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.69**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.22 (1.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.76 (1.17)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.59 (1.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChild number\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.02 (1.03)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.49(1.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.99*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.77 (1.15)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.22\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultiple\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.90 (0.96)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.22 (1.14)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.88 (1.10)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChild age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u0026ndash;3 Years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.96 (1.01)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.13 (1.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-2.30*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.80 (1.14)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u0026ndash;6 Years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.97 (0.99)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.40 (1.16)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.83 (1.13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdjusted *p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, **p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCorrelations among Work-Family Conflict, Perceived Social Support, and Parental Burnout\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBivariate correlation analyses indicated that work\u0026ndash;family conflict was moderately and positively associated with parental burnout (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.512, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). Perceived social support was significantly negatively correlated with both work\u0026ndash;family conflict (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.297, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) and parental burnout (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.287, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01), suggesting that higher levels of perceived social support were associated with lower levels of both conflict and burnout.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescriptive statistics and correlation analysis for each main variable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.Work-family conflict\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.Parental burnout\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.516**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.Perceived social support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.287**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.297**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean (SD)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.36 (0.99)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.96 (0.99)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.83 (1.13)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdjusted *p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, **p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Buffering Effect of Social Support on Parental Burnout\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo test the buffering effect of perceived social support, we constructed a moderation path model. Following the recommended procedures for moderation analysis (Aiken \u0026amp; West, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e), the continuous predictor (work\u0026ndash;family conflict) and the moderator (perceived social support) were mean-centered before creating the interaction term to reduce multicollinearity. To ensure the robustness of our findings, bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals were estimated based on 5,000 draws.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter controlling for covariates, the moderation model including perceived social support explained 32.6% of the variance in parental burnout (R\u0026sup2; = 0.326). To check for multicollinearity, we calculated the variance inflation factors (VIF) for all predictors. All VIF values were well below the threshold of 10 (Max VIF\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.25), indicating that multicollinearity was not a concern in our model.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e and Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, work\u0026ndash;family conflict significantly and positively predicted parental burnout (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.44, 95% CI [0.362, 0.510], p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), whereas the main effect of perceived social support was significantly negative (β = \u0026minus;.14, 95% CI [-0.208, -0.062], p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). Importantly, the interaction term significantly and negatively predicted parental burnout (β = \u0026minus;.14, 95% CI [-0.224, -0.056], p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). This significant negative interaction, which accounted for an additional 1.8% of the variance in parental burnout above and beyond the main effects (ΔR\u0026sup2; = .018), clearly indicates a robust buffering effect of perceived social support on the relationship between conflict and burnout.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResults for the moderating effect of perceived social support on the relationship between work-family conflict and parental burnout\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePredictor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eβ\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMain effects\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntercept\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ec_WFC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.44\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ec_PSS\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-3.95\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ec_Interaction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-4.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eControl variables\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003erole\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.347\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eage\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.307\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003echild number\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.612\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003echild age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.181\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eeducation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.637\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003efamily structure\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.128\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ecaregiver status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.401\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eemployment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.505\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eeconomic stress\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eModel Information\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eR\u0026sup2;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.326\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimple slope analyses further illustrated the pattern of this interaction (see Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Among parents with low levels of perceived social support, the association between work\u0026ndash;family conflict and parental burnout was stronger (b\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.49, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;11.29, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), whereas for those with high levels of support, the effect remained significant but was notably attenuated (b\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.26, t\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.75, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo further explore the differential roles of various support sources, this study separately examined the moderating effects of family support and network support on the relationship between work-family conflict and parental burnout. The results indicated that both sources of support exerted a significant buffering effect. However, a comparison of the standardized effect coefficients revealed that the buffering effect produced by internal support from family (β = -0.174, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.001) was substantially stronger than that from external network support from friends and society (β = -0.124, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;.006).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ethe Moderating Effects of Different Perceived Social Support Sources\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePredictor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eB\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eβ\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily Support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.108\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.035\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.174\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-3.094\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNetwork Support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.084\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.031\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.124\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-2.684\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.006\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eGroup Differences in the Buffering Mechanism: A Multi-Group Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrior to conducting the multi-group path analyses, measurement invariance was tested across groups. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance were sequentially examined, and the results showed that both ∆CFI and ∆RMSEA were below the recommended cutoff of 0.010, indicating that the measures were comparable across groups (Cheung \u0026amp; Rensvold, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2002\u003c/span\u003e). Subsequently, multi-group path analyses were performed to compare the moderating effects of perceived social support across different groups. The significance of the path differences between groups was assessed using the Wald test. Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e summarizes the core results for the interaction path (INTR) across all group comparisons, while the full model parameters for each analysis are provided in Appendix (Tables \u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eA2\u003c/span\u003e-\u003cspan refid=\"Tab11\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eA6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor parental gender, the interaction effect was significant among mothers (β = \u0026minus;0.16, SE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), whereas it reached a marginal level of significance among fathers (β = \u0026minus;0.01, SE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.080). The difference in path coefficients between the two groups was not significant (b\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.42).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor caregiving role, the interaction effect was highly significant among primary caregivers (β = \u0026minus;0.18, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) but not among secondary caregivers (β = \u0026minus;0.07, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.19). The difference in path coefficients approached significance (b\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.09, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.06).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor economic stress, the interaction effect was significant only in the high-stress group (β = \u0026minus;0.16, SE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.004), whereas it was not significant in the low-stress group (β = \u0026minus;0.05, SE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.28).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor number of children, the buffering effect of perceived social support was highly significant among parents with a single child (β = \u0026minus;0.19, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) but not among parents with multiple children (β = \u0026minus;0.07, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.18). The difference in path coefficients was marginally significant (b\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.08, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.10).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinally, for child age, the interaction effect was not significant among parents of 0\u0026ndash;3-year-old children (β = \u0026minus;0.10, SE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.06, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.24) but was significant among parents of 3\u0026ndash;6-year-old children (β = \u0026minus;0.15, SE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary of Multigroup Path Analyses for the Moderating Effect of Perceived Social Support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGroup Variable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSubgroup\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eβ\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSE\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePath Difference\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eb\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParental role\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMother\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFather\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCaregiver status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMinor\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEconomic stress\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.16\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChild number\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOne\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.08\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultiple\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChild age\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u0026ndash;3 Years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u0026ndash;6 Years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study systematically examined the relationships among work\u0026ndash;family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout among Chinese parents of preschool children, with a particular focus on the boundary conditions of the buffering role of perceived social support. The findings revealed a clear hierarchical pattern. At the descriptive level, the study identified parents experiencing high economic stress, mothers, and parents of only children as at-risk groups characterized by higher levels of conflict and burnout. At the mechanistic level, perceived social support demonstrated a robust buffering effect, with family support emerging as the most critical source of protection. At the conditional level, multi-group analyses delineated the boundaries of this buffering mechanism, showing stronger effects among primary caregivers, parents of only children, and those under high economic stress. Together, these findings offer new insights into the stress and coping processes of Chinese parents of preschoolers and provide important implications for designing targeted family support policies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eIdentifying At-Risk Groups: Group Differences in Key Variables\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsistent with Hypothesis 1, descriptive analyses revealed significant mean-level differences in key variables across groups, providing preliminary evidence for identifying parents at elevated risk. These differences reflect not only statistical patterns but also underlying disparities in resource depletion and stress exposure associated with socioeconomic status and family roles.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEconomic stress emerged as the primary factor distinguishing high-risk from low-risk groups. Parents experiencing high economic stress reported the highest levels of parental burnout and work\u0026ndash;family conflict, as well as the lowest levels of perceived social support. This \u0026ldquo;high-stress\u0026ndash;low-resource\u0026rdquo; profile is consistent with the conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2001\u003c/span\u003e), which posits that stress intensifies when individuals face resource loss without sufficient compensatory support.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond, the present findings challenge the conventional notion that parental burnout predominantly affects mothers. No significant gender differences were observed in parental burnout levels, which contradicts gender difference models but aligns with the gender similarities hypothesis (Hyde, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e), suggesting that men and women are far more similar than different in most psychological variables and mechanisms. However, mothers reported significantly higher levels of work\u0026ndash;family conflict than fathers. This pattern may reflect the persistent structural expectations in contemporary Chinese society, in which mothers continue to bear a disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities and emotional labor\u0026mdash;the so-called \u003cem\u003esecond shift\u003c/em\u003e (Hochschild \u0026amp; Machung, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e)\u0026mdash;despite fathers\u0026rsquo; increasing involvement in childrearing. Although this discrepancy has not yet translated into higher levels of parental burnout for mothers, it may constitute an underlying mechanism contributing to the \u003cem\u003emotherhood penalty\u003c/em\u003e in women\u0026rsquo;s career trajectories (Mu et al., 2016).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinally, child- and family-structure characteristics revealed additional patterns. Contrary to some expectations, parents of only children reported higher levels of work\u0026ndash;family conflict than those with multiple children. This may reflect the culturally embedded phenomenon of \u003cem\u003eintensive parenting\u003c/em\u003e in one-child families in China (Gu, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), where parents tend to invest disproportionately high levels of time, energy, and emotional resources to secure advantages for their child in a competitive social environment (Bryzek et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Such intensive investment naturally heightens conflict with work roles. In addition, parents of children aged 3\u0026ndash;6 reported higher levels of work\u0026ndash;family conflict than those of children aged 0\u0026ndash;3. This likely reflects the developmental shift as children enter the preschool years, during which parenting tasks move beyond basic physical care toward more complex educational guidance, behavioral regulation, and socioemotional support\u0026mdash;demands that place greater strain on parents\u0026rsquo; time and cognitive resources (Piotrowski et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eThe Buffering Effect of Perceived Social Support: Examining Core Mechanisms in the Conflict\u0026ndash;Burnout Link\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter identifying at-risk groups, we further tested Hypothesis 2 concerning the dynamic relations among core variables, aiming to uncover the underlying mechanisms through which stress is transformed into parental burnout. The results largely supported the predictions of both Conservation of Resources theory and the stress-buffering model: work\u0026ndash;family conflict can be conceptualized as a continuous resource depletion process and was positively associated with parental burnout. In contrast, perceived social support, as a crucial external resource, was negatively associated with both conflict and burnout, exerting a significant buffering effect in the transmission of stress to burnout. This finding extends the applicability of the stress-buffering model (Cohen \u0026amp; Wills, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1985\u003c/span\u003e) by providing localized evidence among Chinese preschool parents, a population facing particularly high levels of stress.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, by decomposing perceived social support into its sources\u0026mdash;family support and network support\u0026mdash;we enriched the empirical literature on the structure and function of social support. All two sources showed significant interaction effects in the conflict\u0026ndash;burnout pathway, indicating a broad-spectrum protective role of perceived support, consistent with the findings of Li et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). More importantly, family support exhibited the largest buffering coefficient in the standardized model, suggesting that it may play the most central buffering role in this context. Given the prominence of family cohesion and kinship networks in Chinese culture (Lei \u0026amp; Kantor, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), this result aligns well with theoretical expectations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eWhen Support Works: Toward a Context-Dependent Model of Support Effectiveness\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on these findings, this study proposes a \u003cem\u003econtext-dependent model of support effectiveness\u003c/em\u003e. This model extends the traditional stress-buffering framework by conceptualizing perceived social support as a contextually activated psychological resource. Its buffering function depends on two key contextual dimensions: the intensity of conflict and burnout, and the degree of support\u0026ndash;task matching. Specifically, the protective role of perceived social support is most strongly activated when parents face higher levels of work\u0026ndash;family conflict and parental burnout, and when the type of support they receive aligns with the resource demands of their specific parenting challenges. By delineating the contextual boundaries of support effects, this model provides a more nuanced theoretical lens for understanding the variability of support effectiveness across different family contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, we found that the buffering effect of perceived social support was significantly stronger among groups experiencing high levels of conflict and resource strain, reflecting a typical \u0026ldquo;timely help\u0026rdquo; pattern. This was evident among primary caregivers, parents of only children, and families facing high economic stress\u0026mdash;groups that not only exhibited high levels of work\u0026ndash;family conflict and parental burnout but also represented contexts in which support effects were most fully activated. In other words, the protective role of perceived support was more pronounced under conditions of heightened stress and resource scarcity, consistent with the buffering hypothesis under high-stress conditions (Rui \u0026amp; Guo, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond, age-based subgroup analyses further highlighted the importance of the matching hypothesis (Schmiedl et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Parents of children aged 0\u0026ndash;3 face primarily physiological and resource-draining challenges (e.g., sleep deprivation, frequent feeding), which rely heavily on instrumental support (Hong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In such cases, emotional or informational support may not readily translate into tangible relief. In contrast, parents of 3\u0026ndash;6-year-old children face more cognitive and emotional challenges related to rule-setting, emotion regulation, and educational pressure. Here, emotional and informational support from peers\u0026mdash;particularly from other parents with caregiving experience\u0026mdash;facilitates cognitive reframing and emotional adjustment (Qiu \u0026amp; Shum, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), thereby mitigating the impact of work\u0026ndash;family conflict on parental burnout.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough this study focused on Chinese parents, the mechanisms revealed\u0026mdash;context-dependent support effects and the matching principle\u0026mdash;appear to have cross-cultural relevance. Similar patterns have been observed in research on occupational burnout in Western contexts (Hartley \u0026amp; Coffee, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e), suggesting that the mechanisms identified here may reflect more general psychological processes rather than culturally specific phenomena.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec25\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSignificance and Implications\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study provides methodological, theoretical, and practical insights into understanding and addressing parental burnout among Chinese parents of preschool-aged children. Methodologically, it proposes a systematic analytical framework that progresses from identifying at-risk groups through mean-level differences, to testing the core moderating effects, and finally to using multi-group path analysis to delineate the boundary conditions of these effects. Unlike the conventional \u0026ldquo;one-size-fits-all\u0026rdquo; approach to examining support effects, this framework uncovers the contextual heterogeneity of perceived support, offering a replicable methodological template for future research.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTheoretically, the findings not only extend the applicability of conservation of resources theory and the stress-buffering model but also advance a context-dependent model of support effectiveness. This model highlights that the protective function of perceived social support depends on the intensity of conflict and burnout as well as the degree of support\u0026ndash;task matching. The results further underscore the central role of family-based support in the Chinese cultural context, suggesting that the effectiveness of perceived support is shaped by both the nature of stressors and the surrounding sociocultural environment, rather than being uniform across contexts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePractically, the findings offer targeted implications for intervention and policy. At the individual level, parents should prioritize strengthening intra-family support systems and strategically seek effective support aligned with their specific parenting stage and stress profile. At the systemic level, support mechanisms must be built on empirically identified risk factors rather than on traditional role-based assumptions. Furthermore, family-friendly policies and community support networks should be tailored to align with cultural characteristics and the specific needs of parent groups to effectively mitigate parental burnout.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec26\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitations and Future Direction\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeveral limitations of this study point to fruitful directions for future research on parental stress and social support. Firstly, the cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal inferences. Although significant associations were found among work\u0026ndash;family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout, the temporal ordering of these variables remains unclear. Future studies should adopt longitudinal designs to track their dynamic interplay over time, thereby clarifying causal pathways. Secondly, the measurement of core variables relied primarily on parental self-reports, which may introduce common method bias. Future work could strengthen validity by incorporating multiple data sources (e.g., partner reports, teacher ratings) and methods (e.g., behavioral observations, physiological indicators) to triangulate the burnout process. Thirdly, while the study examined boundary conditions of the buffering effect through demographic variables, it may have overlooked the critical role of individual psychological characteristics. Stress and coping theories emphasize that individuals\u0026rsquo; appraisal and response to stress are strongly influenced by stable traits such as resilience and emotion regulation capacities. Future research should integrate both contextual and dispositional factors into a comprehensive framework to inform more personalized intervention strategies. Fourthly, the sample was primarily recruited through online platforms, which may limit the external validity of the findings. Future studies should draw on larger, nationally representative, and more diverse samples to examine the robustness and generalizability of the conclusions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study systematically examined the relationships among parental burnout, work\u0026ndash;family conflict, perceived social support among Chinese parents of preschool-aged children. Parents experiencing high economic pressure, holding primary caregiving responsibilities, or raising an only child emerged as higher-risk groups, reporting elevated levels of both conflict and burnout. At the mechanism level, perceived social support was found to exert a significant buffering effect, with family support playing the most central role. Multi-group analyses further revealed the context-dependent nature of this buffering effect: its protective function was particularly pronounced among parents under high economic stress, those raising an only child, and primary caregivers. Overall, this research illuminates the core associations linking work\u0026ndash;family conflict, perceived social support, and parental burnout, while delineating the boundaries of the support effect. These insights are distilled into a context-dependent model of support effectiveness, which refines the traditional stress-buffering framework and provides a novel theoretical lens for understanding how social support functions across different risk contexts.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eG.Z. wrote the main manuscript text and prepared all figures and tables. J.G. collected the data. M.C. revised the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy and ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAiken, L. S., \u0026amp; West, S. G. (1991). \u003cem\u003eMultiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions\u003c/em\u003e. Sage.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarrera Jr, M. (1986). Distinctions between social support concepts, measures, and models. \u003cem\u003eAmerican journal of community psychology\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e14\u003c/em\u003e(4), 413\u0026ndash;445. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/BF00922627\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/BF00922627\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrenning, K., De Clercq, B., \u0026amp; Soenens, B. (2024). 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The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Personality Assessment\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e52\u003c/em\u003e(1), 30\u0026ndash;41. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"parental burnout, work–family conflict, perceived social support, parents of preschool children","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7881844/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7881844/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIn contemporary China, the convergence of parenting responsibilities and work demands has made work\u0026ndash;family conflict a significant risk factor for parents\u0026rsquo; psychological well-being. Parents of preschool-aged children are particularly vulnerable due to the intensive caregiving tasks required during this developmental stage. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and the stress-buffering model, this study systematically examined the impact of work\u0026ndash;family conflict on parental burnout among preschool parents, with a particular focus on the buffering role and contextual boundaries of perceived social support. A total of 657 parents of preschool-aged children in China completed an online questionnaire assessing work\u0026ndash;family conflict, parental burnout, and perceived social support. Path analysis revealed that work\u0026ndash;family conflict significantly and positively predicted parental burnout. Perceived social support not only directly and negatively predicted burnout but also exerted a significant buffering effect on the link between conflict and burnout. Multi-group analyses further indicated that this buffering effect was context-dependent: its protective function was notably stronger among primary caregivers, parents experiencing high economic stress, and those raising an only child. Based on these findings, the study proposes a context-dependent model of support effectiveness, highlighting that the protective role of social support depends on two contextual dimensions\u0026mdash;the intensity of conflict and burnout, and the degree of support\u0026ndash;task matching. This research extends the boundary conditions of the stress-buffering framework and provides theoretical and practical insights for identifying high-risk parent groups and designing culturally responsive family support interventions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Buffering Conflict-Burnout: the Context-Dependent Role of Perceived Social Support Among Chinese Preschool Parents","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-27 13:22:32","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7881844/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"5179b69d-cbbd-4b84-a9fb-63c8d44cd7c6","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 27th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-27T13:22:32+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-27 13:22:32","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7881844","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7881844","identity":"rs-7881844","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}