Neuroticism and well-being among employed new parents: The role of the work-family conflict

In this longitudinal study, the authors tested a single-mediator model in which neuroticism forms a risk factor predisposing individuals to experience work-family conflict, which, in turn, was hypothesized as influencing their levels of parental, marital and personal well-being. The authors focused on men and women at a particular phase in the life cycle: employed, married (or cohabiting), and undergoing the transition to parenthood. Data were collected during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 9 months postpartum. The participants for this longitudinal study were part of an initial sample of 185 Canadian couples expecting their first child. Of this number, 172 men and 50 women were working at 9 months postpartum and were included in the current study. As predicted, for men, after controlling for demographic variables, the mediated effects were significant for the residualized change scores of union quality and of psychological distress. The link between neuroticism and parenting satisfaction was also mediated by work-family conflict for men. For women, no mediated effects were significant.