Parents' Shift Work in Connection with Work-Family Conflict and Mental Health: Examining the Pathways for Mothers and Fathers

Abstract

Shift work might aggravate work–family conflict and mental health. The current study used moderated-mediation analyses to investigate the association between shift work and mental health, whether work–family conflict explained this association, and whether the pathways differed between genders. The sample included 756 mothers and 452 fathers participating in the “Families at Work” survey, an online nationwide community-based survey of employed parents. The findings highlight the complex interplay between parents' work schedules, work–family conflict and psychological distress. They show some evidence that working irregular shifts was associated with higher work–family conflict in connection ..