Estrés de pandemia por COVID-19 y el conflicto trabajo-familia y familia-trabajo en Buenos Aires, Argentina / Pandemic stress due to COVID-19 and the work-family and family-work conflict in Buenos Aires, Argentina

RESUMEN

Resumen La pandemia ha generado un nuevo entorno que establece determinadas exigencias o demandas de actuación a las personas, potenciales estresores que pueden desencadenar el proceso de estrés, al que se le podría denominar Estrés de Pandemia (EDP). A este contexto, se sumaron los cambios en la jornada laboral que derivaron en mayor interferencia entre la familia y el trabajo. De esta manera, se volvió relevante generar conocimiento sobre la temática durante este contexto particular. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar la asociación entre el (EDP) y el Conflicto Trabajo-Familia (CTF) y Familia-Trabajo (CFT). Además, se indagaron diferencias de grupos según factores laborales como la modalidad de trabajo y la tenencia o no de niños a cargo, entre otros. Se utilizó el Inventario SISCO de EDP (Macías, 2020), la escala de CTF y CFT (Netemeyer et al., 1996) y un cuestionario ad-hoc. Los participantes fueron 637 adultos (M.edad = 38.14, DS = 13.05, femenino = 487). Se encontraron asociaciones positivas entre las variables CFT y CTF y ambas se asociaron de manera positiva con el EDP. Quienes trabajaron de manera virtual evidenciaron mayor CFT y quienes lo hicieron, tanto virtual como presencialmente fueron los que más puntuaron en CTF. Finalmente, quienes tenían niños a cargo tuvieron mayor CFT y CTF. En conclusión, el estrés en torno al COVID-19 se vincula con mayor interferencia y conflictos entre el ámbito laboral y el familiar.

ABSTRACT

Abstract Pandemic Stress can be defined as a psychological state produced by an adaptation process where the individual values ​​the environment demands, determined by the pandemic, as overflowing with their resources to carry them out effectively (Macías, 2020). The change in routine carries the possibility of an increase in relation to work-family conflict. Family conflict involves two directions work can interfere with the family (family work conflict or FWC) and the family can interfere with work (work family conflict, or WFC) (Bellavia y Frone, 2005) because of the incompatibility of responsibilities in the workplace and family (Greenhaus y Beutell, 1985). Added to this context are changes in the working day and, since there are no studies that analyze the relationships between SP and family and work conflict, it becomes relevant to generate knowledge on this issue during this context that humanity is going through. In this way, the aim was to establish the association between Pandemic Stress (PS), Work-Family Conflict (WFC) and Family-Work Conflict (FWC). In addition, the possible existence of group differences was analyzed according to work factors such as work modality, and the possession or not of dependent children. SISCO Pandemic Stress Inventory (Macías, 2020), the Work-Family Conflict and Family-Work Conflict scale (Netemeyer et al., 1996) and an ad-hoc questionnaire were used. The participants were 637 adults (M.age = 38.14, SD = 13.05, female = 487). Positive associations were found between the variables WFC and FWC, and both were positively associated with PS. Those who worked virtually showed higher FWC and those who did it both virtually and in person, were the ones who scored the most in WFC, realizing the difficulty in balancing family and work demands. This could be due to the difficulty for parents who worked outside the home, since they had to organize alternative solutions to take care of their children, which is hampered by the closure of establishments, difficulty in mobilizing and preventive and mandatory isolation of social networks that, in another context, contribute to the care of children. It is of great relevance to consider that the majority of those surveyed have been women, being the most likely to report that the excessive amount of housework made it difficult for them to combine work and family (Blasko, 2020). Finally, those who had children had higher WFC and FWC. In this sense, Gutierrez et al. (2020) explain that in households the unpaid workload and care has increased, which falls unequally on women, a fact that further limits their availability of time to develop productive and / or work activities. Following Park et al. (2020), being young, being female, and being a caregiver increase the risk of exposure to stressors and a greater level of stress. In conclusion, the lawsuits surrounding COVID-19 interfere in conflicts between the workplace and the family. This shows the importance of carrying out evidence-based interventions aimed at mitigating the effects of SP due to COVID-19 and reducing WFC and FWC. In this sense, the present research provides an advance in the understanding of interference between home and work, as well as the impact of the pandemic in both spheres of daily life.