Trial Stress is stress with child or without stress
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Parents feel stressed out - childless too
02/14/2014
According to a recent study, many parents feel stressed out. The double burden of children and career burden mothers and fathers. But even childless suffer during the „Rush hour of life“ of stress.
Stressed parents and childless
According to the current health report of the German Employees' Health Insurance Fund (DAK), one-fifth of mothers and 17 percent of fathers between the mid-20s and early 40s felt chronic stress. The result was very similar for the same-age childless people. Even among them, about one fifth of women and around 18 percent of men felt permanently stressed. Around 3,000 Germans between the ages of 25 and 40 were interviewed in December for the study.
Rush hour of life
Among social scientists, the age range between 30 and 40 is now often considered the so-called „Rush hour of life“. In the meantime, young adults usually have to make decisions about career planning and children in a shorter time than before. In the survey, the presumption that this marathon leaches the young parents stronger, than 20 or 30 years ago, but not confirmed. Hans Bertram, sociologist at the Berlin Humboldt University, evaluated the study result on Thursday: „There are significantly fewer overwhelmed young parents than expected.“ He means: „That's a positive message.“
Continue to work without a child
In general, the results have been surprising. The report states: „Working parents, mothers and fathers, show no increased burden of chronic stress.“ Even at sick leave showed no differences between parents and childless. „Even full-time mothers do not have higher stress levels than mothers working part-time or non-working mothers“, as the DAK writes. The study also shows some problems. Thus, about half of all mothers stated that they would be further away without a child. In addition, it has been noted that more than half of childless women (53 percent) fear for the right balance between work and personal life. For the mothers, this was only 43 percent.
Parents on leisure related at a disadvantage
Relative to leisure and sports, however, parents are at a disadvantage compared to childless. For example, working parents are less likely to pay attention to their health than people without offspring. Since many lack the time, only about 17 percent of working mothers drive a lot of sports, of the childless women, however, this would be about one in three. And also lack of sleep is more common among mothers. According to the report, only 48 percent are looking for sufficient rest. In the case of childless women, 61 percent were.
Fathers are plagued by guilty conscience
About half of the fathers complain that they do not have enough time for themselves. For the men without offspring this would be 43 percent. Half of the fathers plague a guilty conscience, believing that they are not enough for their children. When it comes to physical activity, the differences between men are similar to those of women. Thus, only about 23 percent of full-time fathers would manage to do a lot of sports. In the case of the childless men it is a good ten percent more. Like the mothers, fathers would less often provide enough sleep and rest (about 42 percent) than men without offspring (51 percent). According to the study, it is also noticeable that fathers consume more alcohol and cigarettes than do childless men.
Prevention especially important
Although many of the results of the health report are quite positive, the DAK still points to the health problems of the younger generation. Many respondents said they had back pain and experienced depressive episodes. High blood pressure, which is often associated with stress and lack of exercise, is a problem for some. Many chronic diseases, especially in the early stages, would be influenced by a healthy lifestyle. Prevention is therefore especially important in this phase of life. (Sb)
Image: Benjamin Thorn