EFTA Research Café: Balancing the Unbalanced: Work-Family Dynamics and the Emotional Toll on Parents

With Marisa Matias

Modern parents face increasing challenges in balancing work and family demands, often leading to emotional exhaustion and parental burnout. This session delves into the mechanisms of work-family dynamics, including spillover and crossover effects, to uncover how these processes impact parents’ well-being and family relationships. With a focus on gendered experiences and systemic approaches, the presentation offers insights for discussing ways to support parents in navigating these pressures and promoting healthier family dynamics.

Marisa Matias, PhD in Psychology, is a professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto and a researcher specializing in work–family dynamics, gender equality, and parental well-being. Her work focuses on how social contexts, gendered expectations, and support systems shape parents’ experiences of work–family balance, emotional exhaustion, and parental burnout.
She has led and participated in national and international research projects examining family processes, couple dynamics, and parenting across different life stages, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. She is the author of several peer-reviewed international journal articles and book chapters on these topics.
Marisa has experience in evaluating and implementing psychosocial interventions to strengthen parental competencies, reduce burnout, and promote healthier family functioning. Her work bridges research and practice, contributing to evidence-based approaches to help families navigate contemporary work–family challenges.

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