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

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 with higher psychological distress, with fathers at greater risk. Working regular shifts was associated with poorer mental health, but this was not related to increased work�family conflict, and this association was stronger for mothers. As the labor force becomes increasingly fractured, it is critical that the impacts of non-standard work schedules continue to be considered.