Parents with unhealthy attachment styles are at higher risk of parental burnout—including emotional exhaustion and a need to distance themselves from their children—a new study has found.

The study, published in the journal PLOS One and conducted by researchers at the Maria Grzegorzewska University in Warsaw, Poland, examined 440 Polish parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Using three psychological questionnaires, the team measured each parent’s attachment style, their ability to identify and describe emotions (a trait known as alexithymia) and symptoms of burnout.

The researchers found that parents with insecure attachment styles—either avoidant or anxious—were significantly more likely to experience burnout .

Those with avoidant attachment tend to suppress their emotions and

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