Certain jobs cause more stress for working parents

A new study has revealed that the reason behind intense psychological stress among working parents can be their certain jobs and it has nothing to do with the demand of time and energy from other people.

According to University of Iowa researchers, parents who hold jobs viewed by society as aggressive, weak, or impersonal are likely to be more stressed out than parents whose occupations are seen in a light similar to parenting; good, strong, and caring.

Among occupations that create more psychological baggage are; attorney, salesperson, laborer, receptionist, police officer, or politician. Those that align better, in terms of societal perception, with parenting include; teacher, physician, registered nurse, principal, and professor.

Mark Walker, a doctoral student in sociology at UI, said that the research was important in that it gives a name to something that many working parents experience but couldn't quite put a finger on and identifying the issue as a social problem rather than an individual one, or even worse; an imaginary problem, could be helpful to working parents in and of itself.

It was discovered that the public was often skeptical about the abilities of parents whose occupations seemingly do not align with being a mother or a father.

The study could help shape policy and workplace changes designed to reduce the psychological strain of juggling the roles of parent and worker.