Exploring The Relationship Between Parentification and Burnout in Personal and Professional Spaces Among Adults

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of elder siblings who experienced parentification, with a focus on its impact on emotional well-being, relational dynamics, and coping mechanisms. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six English-speaking working young adults aged 18–45 years who met the clinical cut-off for parentification (≥85) on Mika’s Parentification Scale. Thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts generated four core themes: Relationship Patterns (among family, sibling, romantic relationships, and friendships and peers); Responsibility vs Self-Neglect; Emotional Exhaustion and Coping Strategies; and Performativeness vs Performance. Findings revealed how early caregiving roles shaped relational boundaries, fostered self-sacrificial tendencies, and influenced perceptions of intimacy and trust. Participants reported high emotional labor, recurring burnout, and reliance on both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. The tension between outward competence and internal distress emerged as a salient feature of their narratives. These insights underscore the long-term psychosocial consequences of parentification and highlight the need for interventions addressing self-care, boundary-setting, and authentic self-expression. Implications for counselling practice and future research on sibling birth order effects are discussed.