Fear of COVID-19, Health Anxiety and Work-Family Conflict in Nurses Working in the COVID-19 Ward.

Background: COVID-19 is an example of an epidemic and sudden crisis that has affected many aspects of life and work and identifying the factors that contribute to its impact can help prevent similar crises in the future. The purpose of this study was to investigate fear of COVID-19, health anxiety, and work-family conflict in nurses working in COVID-19 wards in hospitals affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study used a census method to survey 226 nurses working in eight hospitals affiliated with TUMS. Demographics information and three questionnaires including; the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Short Health Anxiety Inventory, and Work-Family Conflict Scale were completed online. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analytical statistics, and a significance level of p < 0.05 was considered. Results: Structural equation modeling test showed that work-family conflict had an effect on health anxiety, and health anxiety had an effect on fear of COVID-19 (p < 0.05). The severity of the effect of work-family conflict on health anxiety was 0.73, and the severity of the effect of health anxiety on fear of COVID-19 was 0.46. Work-family conflict had an indirect effect on fear of COVID-19 mediated only by health anxiety (p < 0.05) and the severity of the indirect effect was 0.33. Conclusions: Health anxiety plays a mediating role in the relationship between work-family conflict and fear of COVID-19. Workplaces should provide more support to their employees during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and prevention programs should be implemented to decrease anxiety.

Work-Family Life Course Trajectories and Women's Mental Health: The Moderating Role of Defamilization Policies in 15 European Territories.

This study employs multichannel sequence analysis of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe to explore variations in the association between work-family life trajectories and women's mental health across European cohorts born between 1924 and 1965 within different policy contexts. It finds that trajectories characterized by prolonged employment and delayed familial commitments are generally associated with increased depressive symptoms. Notably, the strength of this association varies significantly across cohorts and is notably moderated by defamilization policies. These policies, which aim to reduce dependency on family for managing social risks, buffer mental health challenges in traditional family roles but are less effective for women in trajectories with delayed family formation. This investigation highlights the nuanced ways in which historical and cultural contexts alongside policy environments shape mental health outcomes at various life stages, offering valuable insights into our understanding of health disparities across the life course, with an emphasis on exposure to changing institutions.

Examining the roles of self-compassion and self-control in managing work-family conflicts and preventing burnout during the pandemic: A three-wave longitudinal study in China.

According to the Work/Family Border Theory, the pandemic-induced disruptions, such as widespread teleworking adoption, have blurred work and family boundaries. Meanwhile, the Work-Home Resources Model posited that the impact of such disruptions on work-family conflicts and mental health depends on individual resources. Building on previous research, this study hypothesised that self-compassion and self-control mitigate pandemic burnout by reducing work-family conflicts during pandemic. In particular, we proposed that the proactive nature of self-compassion motivates individuals to seek resources for managing work-family conflicts, while self-control translates this motivation into action through behavioural regulation and adaptive coping. Using a three-wave longitudinal design with 568 participants in China during heightened pandemic severity, the study revealed that both self-compassion and self-control were associated with lower pandemic burnout, mediated through reduced work-family conflict. The indirect effect of self-compassion on pandemic burnout via work-family conflicts was significant only for individuals with high or average self-control, emphasising the complementary role of both factors. Our findings underscore the protective value of self-compassion and self-control in navigating work-family conflicts during collective adversities, advocating for their incorporation in theoretical frameworks and practical intervention.

The Relationship Between Maternal Problematic Mobile Phone Use and Hyperactive Behavior in Preschool Children: The Moderating Effect of Family Parenting Support on Chain Mediation.

Purpose: The issue of excessive mobile phone use among mothers currently is growing increasingly significant due to the rapid growth of smartphones and other technological items. Given that women are the primary caregivers for preschool-aged children, it is imperative to thoroughly investigate the detrimental impacts of mothers' problematic mobile phone use on the hyperactive behaviors of their children, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Methods: In this study, 924 Chinese mothers and their children are surveyed. The study looks into the moderating effects of parenting support in this context as well as the chain mediating roles of mothers' parent-child interaction disorder and work-family conflict in the effects of mothers' problematic cell phone use on preschoolers' hyperactive behaviors. Analysis is conducted on the moderating impact of parental support in this as well. Results: The results find that boys have significantly higher levels of hyperactive behavior than girls; maternal problematic cell phone use significantly positively predicts preschoolers' hyperactive behavior; maternal problematic cell phone use could indirectly affect preschoolers' hyperactive behavior through the chain-mediated effects of work-family conflict and parent-child interaction disorder, and parenting support moderates the predictive effects of parent-child interaction disorder on preschoolers' hyperactive behavior. Conclusion: This study reveals potential ways in which mothers' problematic mobile phone use affects preschoolers' hyperactivity behaviors in the Chinese context. The findings provide a multidimensional (protective and risk factors) indication of how to reduce the impact of mothers' problematic mobile phone use on preschoolers' levels of hyperactivity behaviors, which would contribute to improving children's mental health. However, this is a cross-sectional study and other factors may also play an important role in this pathway.

Family conflict and less parental monitoring were associated with greater screen time in early adolescence.

AIM: The current study investigated the prospective relationships between parental monitoring, family conflict, and screen time across six screen time modalities in early adolescents in the USA. METHODS: We utilised prospective cohort data of children (ages 10-14 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (years baseline to Year 2 of follow-up; 2016-2020; N = 10 757). Adjusted coefficients (B) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using mixed-effect models with robust standard errors. RESULTS: A higher parental monitoring score was associated with less total screen time (B = -0.37, 95% CI -0.58, -0.16), with the strongest associations being with video games and YouTube videos. Conversely, a higher family conflict score was associated with more total screen time (B = 0.08, 95% CI 0.03, 0.12), with the strongest associations being with YouTube videos, video games, and watching television shows/movies in Years 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: The current study found that greater parental monitoring was associated with less screen time, while greater family conflict was linked to more screen time. These results may inform strategies to reduce screen time in adolescence, such as improving communication between parents and their children to strengthen family relationships.

When high work engagement is negative for family tasks: mechanisms and boundary conditions.

Background: Typically, work engagement is positively related to beneficial job outcomes. Earlier studies, however, revealed a "dark side" of work engagement showing negative effects such as more work-family conflict. Using a resource perspective, our study seeks to better understand why and when these negative effects of work engagement occur. Specifically, we test a new model in which the relationship of work engagement with work-family conflict is mediated by organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and work rumination. Moreover, we argue that employees' resource-building strategies (i.e., job crafting) and resource levels (i.e., psychological capital) buffer resource depletion due to high work engagement. Methods: We tested our assumptions in a field study that involved data collected on three measurement points with 523 employees from Nigeria. The measures consist of Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale, Work Rumination Scale, Psychological Capital Scale, Job Crafting Measure, Work-family Conflict Scale, and demographic variables. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. Results and discussion: Results from latent structure equation modelling confirm that work rumination mediates the positive relationship between work engagement and work-family conflict. Additionally, our findings suggest that behavioral engagement (i.e.,OCB) and work rumination mediate the relationship between work engagement and work-family conflict. Moreover, psychological capital mitigated the relationships of work engagement with work rumination, but not job crafting. Our study helps to better understand the "dark side" of work engagement and offers implications on how to mitigate its detrimental relationship with work-family conflict.

"My child is my job now" - Care, work and careers of mothers with disabled children in the Norwegian welfare state.

In this article, we investigate how mothers of disabled children in Norway experience the work-family conflict and its impact on their careers, highlighting the role of provision of health and welfare services. We use a qualitative multiple case study of 11 mothers with disabled children. Although Norway is characterized by high labor market participation for women and an emphasis on care policies that support working mothers, we show that mothers of disabled children still experience considerable work-family conflict, creating ill-health and income-related struggles. This conflict is heavily influenced by inadequate support from health and welfare services. However, some of the mothers also highlighted how caring for their disabled children led to growth and new career paths, using their care experiences to craft new careers. Drawing on Fraser's (2022) concept of the care crunch and a relational perspective on disability, we demonstrate how the social organization of care for disabled children undervalues the care work mothers do and puts disabled children at risk of receiving insufficient and unequal services.

Exploring anesthesiology nurse' presenteeism in China: cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The department of anesthesiology is the main battlefield for the treatment of acute and critical patients, with high work risk and high work pressure. Due to the particularity of the working environment and nature of work, medical staff have become a group with a high incidence of occupational exhaustion and presenteeism. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of presenteeism among anesthesiology nurses in China and to analyze the related influencing factors. METHODS: Three hundred twelve anesthesiology nurses in Sichuan Province were surveyed by means of general data questionnaire, presenteeism scale, work-family conflict scale, perceived social support scale, occupational commitment scale and stress resistance scale from September to November 2023 by convenience sampling method. RESULTS: The total score of presenteeism was (14.67 ± 3.92), the score of work-family conflict was (45.44 ± 15.90), the score of professional commitment was (87.28 ± 14.30), and the score of perceived social support was (66.04 ± 12.78). The evaluation score of stress resistance was (73.35 ± 11.54). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age, education, mode of employment, position, overtime hours per week, work-family conflict, perceived social support and stress resistance were the factors that affected the presenteeism of anesthesiology nurses, which could explain 44.1% of the total variation. The position ( ß = 0.296, P < 0.001), overtime hours per week (h) ( ß = 0.271, P < 0.001), perceived social support ( ß = -0.279, P < 0.001) turned out as the stronger predictors of presenteeism. CONCLUSION: The presenteeism of anesthesiology nurses is at a high level and needs to be further improved. Clinical nursing managers should pay attention to the physical and mental health and special needs of anesthesiology nurses. Interventions are made according to the main influencing factors, so as to reduce the incidence of presenteeism and improve the quality and safety of surgery.

Chinese Rural Kindergarten Teachers' Work-Family Conflict and Their Turnover Intention: The Role of Emotional Exhaustion and Professional Identity.

The loss of rural kindergarten teachers has become a common social concern in China, which is of great importance to the development of preschool education. This study conducted a survey of 2944 kindergarten teachers in mainland China, to explore the relationship between work-family conflict and turnover intention, the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion, and the moderating effect of professional identity. The study used the work-family conflict questionnaire, the emotional exhaustion scale, the turnover intention questionnaire, and the professional identity questionnaire. The results showed that (1) work-family conflict significantly predicted turnover intention; (2) emotional exhaustion played a mediating role between work-family conflict and turnover intention; and (3) professional identity moderated the latter half path of the mediation model, that is, strong professional identity alleviated the indirect predicting effect of work-family conflict on turnover intention through emotional exhaustion. The results clarified the influencing mechanism of work-family conflict on turnover intention, which could help improve rural preschool teachers' positive emotions and reducing turnover.

Associations between teacher-parent relationships and preschool children's social behavior problems-the chain mediating roles of work-family conflict and parenting self-efficacy.

In the Chinese cultural context, the collaborative interaction characteristics among three key entities - families, kindergartens, and communities - and the mechanisms of their correlation with preschool children's social behavior problems have not been fully understood yet. Based on ecological systems Theory and social support theory, this study aimed to examine the correlation between parent-teacher relationships and preschool children's social behavior problems in Chinese kindergartens, as well as the mediating role of parents' work-family conflict and parenting self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses based on a questionnaire survey of 1,784 parents of preschool children. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) Parents' perceived positive parent-teacher relationships are negatively correlated with preschool children's social problems. (2) Parents' work-family conflict and parenting self-efficacy mediate the relationship between parent-teacher relationships and preschool children's social behavior problems; (3) Parents' work-family conflict and parenting self-efficacy play a chain mediating role in the influence of the parent-teacher relationship on preschool children's social behavior problems. Taken together, the results collectively further elucidate the correlation between parent-teacher relationships and preschool children's social behavior problems, while also discussing other relevant factors pertaining to children's social behavior problems. Theoretically, this study expands the understanding of how external environmental resources interact with home and family education. Practically, this research indicates that governments, early childhood education institutions, and workplaces need to strengthen their support for family education of preschool children. The findings contribute to promoting a multi-faceted co-operation aimed at enhancing the quality of early childhood education and fostering the social adaptability and holistic development of preschool children.

Investigating the association between Work Family Conflicts (WFC) and suicidal ideation in an Australian community-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation, a significant public health issue, necessitates further investigation of its correlates and precursors. Extensive research highlights the association between Work Family Conflicts (WFC) and psychological distress, including depression. However, research examining the correlation between high WFC experiences and suicidal ideation is sparse. This study explores the association between WFC and suicidal ideation within an occupation non-specific community sample. METHODS: Community-based, representative data from the Australian-based Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project formed the basis of this study. Participants eligible for the study (N = 1312) were employed either full-time or part-time and took part in an online questionnaire. Importantly, the data include robust measures of WFC, active suicidal ideation, and depression. RESULTS: After adjusting for psychosocial job characteristics, history of suicidal ideation, and other socio-demographic factors, high WFC was associated with increased odds of active suicidal ideation (Model 4: OR: 1.58, CI: 1.04-2.40). Further, supplementary analyses indicated that depression is an important component of this relationship. Analyses exploring an interaction effect by gender showed that while a significant association between high WFC and suicidality was observed among men after adjustment for all covariates, this association was not evident for women. LIMITATIONS: A small number of participants reported suicidal ideation, potentially affecting the statistical power to detect significant effects. WFC was measured at one time-point, prohibiting the exploration of its causal and/or chronic impact on suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: We find evidence that high WFC is linked to increased active suicidal ideation - specifically for men.

An organizational working time reduction and its impact on three domains of mental well-being of employees: a panel study.

BACKGROUND: Work hours are an important aspect of one's job and these in turn have the potential to impact people's well-being. Much research investigating the link between working hours and well-being uses cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies, especially those studying the same subjects changing their working time, can study the impact of work time more clearly. Using panel data, this study aims to explore the impact of a reduction in working time on three domains of well-being: general well-being, job-related well-being (positive work experience) and work-family well-being (work-family conflict). In addition, our study offers insights into the role of concomitant changes in work and private circumstances of employees as we investigate whether the impact of shorter working hours for well-being is mediated by changes in the participants' and circumstances related to paid and unpaid work resources. METHOD: An organization of about 60 (female) employees trialed a shorter workweek for one calendar year in 2019. All full-time employees reduced their hours. The part-time working employees can be used as a control group. Panel data (survey and time-use diary data) of a 30-h workweek trial in Belgium was collected in four waves over two years in a pre- and post-intervention design. Change over time (waves) was analyzed through multilevel growth models. RESULT: A decrease in work-family conflict was observed during the shorter workweek. Part of this decrease is explained by concomitant changes in work and private circumstances, such as sufficiency in free time, schedule control, and satisfaction with work pressure. Positive work experience and general well-being tend to have decreased during the shorter workweek, although this could partly be explained by other organizational changes and not by the reduction in working hours per se. Schedule control helped suppress these somewhat negative effects of organizational changes on positive work experience. CONCLUSION: Reduced working hours have the largest and most positive impact on work-family conflict. The feeling of having enough leisure time contributes to this increased well-being. Especially for women, who were the majority in this study, a reduction in working time might be beneficial as they often bear more responsibility for household work and care tasks. Next to the duration of working time, schedule control/autonomy has an important impact on well-being.

The Effect of Coping on the Relationship between Work-Family Conflict and Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.

The challenges experienced in the context of the pandemic have required a significant reconciliation between work and family domains due to confinement and the need to spend more time at home, which may have increased the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, making it necessary to use resilient coping strategies to overcome the difficulties felt. This study examined the effect of resilient coping on the relationship between work-family conflict and stress, anxiety, and depression in this context. Data were collected using a self-report protocol from a sample of Portuguese workers (N = 476). The results indicated that work-family conflict was positively associated with stress, anxiety, and depression. Resilient coping established a negative relationship with stress, anxiety, and depression. The moderation effect was not corroborated; it was found that in the presence of the moderating variable (resilient coping), the relationship between the variables of work-family conflict and stress, anxiety, and depression was strengthened. This study reinforces the importance of appropriate interventions in resilient coping in the work-family context, which helps control stress, anxiety, and resilience levels.

The Impact of Work-Family Conflict on Depression Among Korean Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderated Mediating Effect of Job Satisfaction.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the mediating effect of life stress and the moderated mediating effect of job satisfaction on work-family conflict and depression among working mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A secondary analysis was conducted using raw data from Wave 8 of the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families, collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Among the 9175 respondents, study included 1315 women aged between 26 and 55, who have children cohabiting with them. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics; T-test, ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation. The analysis was conducted using the SPSS/WIN 26.0 program and the SPSS PROCESS macro (version 4.0). Results: Life stress was observed to have a significant mediating effect (indirect effect) on work-family conflict and depression. Within this indirect effect, job satisfaction was found to play a moderated mediating role. Conclusion: Drawing from these findings, various interventional strategies can be devised to alleviate work-family conflict and life stress, and enhance job satisfaction, thereby improving the mental health of working mothers. Additionally, these results offer valuable insights for developing mental health promotion programs aimed at preventing and preparing for crises such as infectious diseases and can contribute to inform health policy-making.

More than money: Core self-evaluations, job characteristics and work-family conflict among women.

Integrating work and family life is a relevant concern, especially for women in the banking industry. While the impact of job characteristics on work-family conflict is well-documented, the moderating role of core self-evaluations (CSE) remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the role of CSE in moderating the relationship between job characteristics and work-family conflict among married female bank employees in Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 245 married female bank employees in Enugu state. Participants were assessed using the Core Self-Evaluation, Job Characteristics, and Work-Family Conflict Scales. Pearson correlation analysis and path coefficient evaluation were utilised to test the study's hypotheses. Job characteristics, notably autonomy, feedback, skill variety, task identity, and task significance, influence work-family conflict across three dimensions: behaviour-based, strain-based, and time-based. Notably, CSE emerged as a significant moderator, with its influence varying depending on the job characteristics. The findings highlight the importance of considering both job characteristics and individual psychological attributes in addressing work-family conflicts. Organisations should adopt a multidimensional, individual-centred approach, recognising the intertwined roles of job factors and personal evaluations in shaping employees' work-life balance experiences.

The effect of systematic couple group therapy on families with depressed juveniles: a pilot trial.

Background: Depression is a primary cause of illness and disability among teenagers, and the incidence of depression and the number of untreated young people have increased in recent years. Effective intervention for those youths could decrease the disease burden and suicide or self-harm risk during preadolescence and adolescence. Objective: To verify the short efficacy of the systemic couple group therapy (SCGT) on youths' depression changes and families with depressed adolescents. Methods: The study was a self-control trial; only within-group changes were evaluated. Participants were couples with a depressed child who was resistant to psychotherapy; they were recruited non-randomly through convenient sampling. The paired-sample t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare differences before and after interventions. The effect sizes were also estimated using Cohen's d. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to examine associations between changes. Results: A downward trend was seen in depressive symptoms after treatment, and Cohen's d was 0.33 (p = 0.258). The adolescents perceived fewer interparental conflicts, and the effect sizes were medium for perceived conflict frequency (0.66, p = 0.043), conflict intensity (0.73, p = 0.028), conflict solutions (0.75, p = 0.025), coping efficacy (0.68, p = 0.038), and perceived threat (0.57, p = 0.072). For parents, global communication quality, constructive communication patterns, and subjective marital satisfaction significantly improved after interventions, with large effect sizes (1.11, 0.85, and 1.03, respectively; all p < 0.001). Other destructive communication patterns such as demand/withdraw (p = 0.003) and mutual avoidance (p = 0.018) and communication strategies like verbal aggression (p = 0.012), stonewalling (p = 0.002), avoidance-capitulation (p = 0.036), and child involvement (p = 0.001) also reduced, with medium effect sizes (0.69, 0.52, 0.55, 0.71, 0.46, and 0.79, respectively). Meanwhile, the associations between depression changes and changes in interparental conflicts (p < 0.001) and marital satisfaction (p = 0.001) were significant. Conclusions and clinical relevance: The SCGT offers the possibility for the treatment of families with depressed children who are unwilling to seek treatment. Helping parents improve communication and marital quality may have benefits on children's depressive symptoms.

Lifestyle Dimensions of Public Safety Personnel Families: There's No Life Like It.

PURPOSE: The nature and cumulative occupational demands imposed on families of public safety personnel (PSP) are substantial, in many cases non-negotiable, and distinct from the general population accentuating risk factors for family well-being. Despite this reality, the contributions of PSP families are not well understood, and a conceptual framework is needed. The aim of this paper is to summarize contextual factors (lifestyle dimensions) that shape the lives of PSP families; factors supported in the existing, albeit limited, body of research. METHODS: Grounded in the interpretive/constructivist paradigm, a synthesis was central to understanding the lived experiences of PSP families. An interdisciplinary research team engaged in an iterative process of framework analysis to capture the variability and complexity of PSP family life and distilled the overarching lifestyle dimensions. RESULTS: Three lifestyle dimensions-logistics, risks, and identities-emerged from contextual factors and represent distinct aspects of PSP family life. PSP families play a crucial role in that their capacity to accommodate the lifestyle dimensions (i.e., logistics, risks, and identities), without which the PSP could not meet the demands of the profession. CONCLUSION: Promoting awareness of these dimensions and their consequent demands underscores the cumulative demands that put PSP families at risk. Responses from governments, public safety organizations, and communities are required to help PSP families manage non-negotiable elements of the public safety occupation that spill over into family life over which they have no control.

Too stressed to de-stress? The experience of work stress and recovery among attorneys during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is well-established that legal professionals experience high stress and often high rates of associated health problems. Much less is known about attitudes and behaviours around stress prevention in this occupation. Our study examined views of stress and recovery among 131 U.S. attorneys. In open-ended data, attorneys commonly expressed that their job is very demanding, and it impacts their health. Many respondents felt it was important to manage their stress but had difficulty doing so. Quantitative analyses showed that attitudes about stress (stress-related comparisons, viewing stress as achievement, stress-related impression management, and stigma around stress concerns) demonstrated several significant relationships with perceived stress, recovery experiences, remorse for relaxation, and work-family conflict. Our findings suggest that practical interventions to support the health and well-being of legal professionals may need to target the workload norms, as well as attitudes and beliefs about the normalness of high stress and insufficient recovery.

Investigating the association between work family conflict (WFC) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in an Australian community-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: Difficulties managing work and family demands are common and have been found to be associated with stress and poor mental health. However, very few studies have examined Work Family Conflict (WFC) in connection with diagnosable anxiety disorders (and none with Australian representative data). The current study investigated whether high WFC was significantly associated with a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) after controlling for a broad range of socio-demographic contextual factors, related psychosocial job, family and individual characteristics, and prior anxiety symptom history. METHODS: Data was analysed from an Australian population-based community cohort - the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life project. Eligible participants (N = 1159) were employed full-time or part-time, with data collected by both online questionnaire and face-to-face interview. Presence of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in the past 12-months was diagnosed by the GAD module in the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) (based on DSM-IV criteria) and severe anxiety symptoms were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) 7-item 'other anxiety' model. RESULTS: The findings consistently showed that those experiencing high WFC had higher odds of a GAD diagnosis (final adjusted model: CIDI: OR: 2.55, CI: 1.38-4.70) as well as clinical levels of anxiety symptoms (PHQ: OR:2.61, CI:1.44,4.72). This was the case after controlling for an extensive range of covariates. CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the first studies to show that WFC is associated with greater likelihood of GAD. The challenge of juggling both work and family can have far-reaching impacts - not just increasing distress broadly, but also potentially increasing the likelihood of clinically diagnosable anxiety.

Daily Time-Use Patterns and Quality of Life in Parents: Protocol for a Pilot Quasi-Experimental, Nonrandomized Controlled Trial Using Ecological Momentary Assessment.

BACKGROUND: The gender gap in time use and its impact on health and well-being are still prevalent. Women work longer hours than men when considering both paid and unpaid (eg, childcare and chores) work, and this gender disparity is particularly visible among parents. Less is known about factors that could potentially mediate or moderate this relationship (eg, work-family conflict and gender role beliefs). Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) allows for the documentation of changes in momentary internal states, such as time use, stress, or mood. It has shown particular validity to measure shorter-term activities (eg, unpaid work) and is thus useful to address gender differences. OBJECTIVE: The feasibility of the daily EMA surveys in a parent sample will be examined. The associations between time use, well-being, and stress will be examined, along with potential moderating and mediating factors such as gender, gender role beliefs, and work-family conflict. Finally, the act of monitoring one's own time use, well-being, and stress will be examined in relation to, for example, the quality of life. METHODS: We conducted a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized controlled trial with 3 data collection methods, namely, online questionnaires, EMA surveys, and qualitative interviews. The intervention group (n=64) will participate in the online questionnaires and EMA surveys, and a subsample of the intervention group (n=6-17) will also be invited to participate in qualitative interviews. Over a period of 1 week, participants in the intervention group will answer daily EMA surveys (4 times per day). In contrast, the control group (n=17) will only participate in the online questionnaires at baseline and after 1 week. The following constructs were surveyed: sociodemographic background (eg, age, gender, and household composition; baseline questionnaire); mediators and moderators (eg, gender role beliefs and work-family conflict; baseline and follow-up questionnaires); well-being, quality of life, and trait mindfulness (baseline and follow-up questionnaires); momentary activity and well-being, as well as state mindfulness (EMA); and feasibility (baseline and follow-up questionnaires as well as interviews). We anticipate that participants will regard the daily EMA as feasible. Particular daily time-use patterns (eg, high paid and unpaid workload) are expected to be related to lower well-being, higher stress, and health-related quality of life. These associations are expected to be moderated and mediated by factors such as gender, gender role beliefs, work-family conflict, and social support. Participants in the intervention group are expected to show higher values of mindfulness, well-being, health-related quality of life, and lower stress. RESULTS: Patient recruitment started in November 2023 and ended in mid April 2024. Data analysis commenced in mid April 2024. CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to provide valuable insights into the feasibility of using EMAs and the potential benefits of activity tracking in various aspects of daily life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Open Science Framework 8qj3d; https://osf.io/8qj3d. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/54728.