Examining Children’s Mental Health and Parenting Quality before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Yarger ◽  
Deena Shariq ◽  
Alexandra Hickey ◽  
Elizabeth Giacobbe ◽  
Sarah Louise Dziura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Children’S Mental Health ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Children's Mental Health ◽  
Parental Mental Health ◽  
Parenting Quality ◽  
Permissive Parenting ◽  
Children’S Anxiety ◽  
At Home

Background: The goal of the current study was to characterize the impact of COVID-19 mitigation efforts (i.e., stay-at-home orders) on children’s mental health and parenting quality, as well as to assess predictors of children’s mental health during the pandemic. Methods: Seventy-nine children (18 with autism, 61 without) and their parents who participated in a previous study and were at least 10 years old (M = 13.8, SD = 1.7) were invited to participate in three online follow-up surveys post initiation of the stay-at-home-order (during May through November 2020). Children were predominantly White (49.4%) and not Hispanic or Latino (78.5%). Parents reported on children’s anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as their own parenting practices. Family togetherness, conflict, financial problems, and parental mental health during the pandemic were also collected. Results: Children without autism experienced a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms across the beginning of the pandemic and a significant increase in depressive symptoms from pre- to post-stay-at-home-order. Children with autism experienced a significant decrease in depressive symptoms from pre- to post- stay-at-home-order. Parents of children without autism reported a significant decrease in positive parenting from pre- to post stay-at-home-order. Higher levels of permissive parenting and financial problems were associated with children’s depressive symptoms. Higher levels of parent mental health difficulties and permissive parenting were associated with higher levels of children’s anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Children are experiencing both improvements and declines in mental health relative to pre-pandemic. Parenting quality and parental mental health have direct impacts on children’s functioning during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Does Mother–Child Interaction Mediate the Relation Between Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Children’s Mental Health Problems?

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 1257-1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleen M. E. M. van Doorn ◽  
Rowella C. W. M. Kuijpers ◽  
Anna Lichtwarck-Aschoff ◽  
Denise Bodden ◽  
Mélou Jansen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Children’S Mental Health ◽  
Children's Mental Health ◽  
Maternal Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Child Interaction ◽  
Mother Child Interaction

scholarly journals Maternal attachment representation, the risk of increased depressive symptoms and the influence on children’s mental health during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska Köhler-Dauner ◽  
Anna Buchheim ◽  
Katherina Hildebrand ◽  
Inka Mayer ◽  
Vera Clemens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children’S Mental Health ◽  
Maternal Attachment ◽  
Children's Mental Health ◽  
Attachment Representations ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Attachment Representation ◽  
Depressive Symptomology

AbstractThe social distancing measures and the related closure of education institutions have confronted young families, in particular, with various challenges. Additional risk factors such as an insecure or even unresolved maternal attachment representation may affect mental health of mothers and their children in times of increased stress such as during the ongoing pandemic. We aimed to analyze the interplay between maternal attachment representation and mother’s and children’s mental health before and during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic. 91 mothers completed a “SARS-CoV-2 pandemic survey” examining the pandemic-related stress of their families including their own depressive symptomology and their children’s mental health. Our mediation analysis demonstrates that the mothers’ depressive symptomology significantly and fully mediated the relationship between maternal attachment representations and children’s mental health during the pandemic. In contrast, the indirect effect of the maternal attachment representation on children’s mental health before the pandemic through the depressive symptoms experienced by the mothers before the pandemic did not reach significance alongside the total and direct effect. The quality of the maternal attachment representation, promoted by childhood maltreatment, seems to be one relevant risk factor for the mothers’ and children’s mental health during a stressful time like a pandemic. The risk for mothers to develop depressive symptoms in times of a pandemic is significantly influenced by their current representation of previous attachment experiences. In addition, the mental well-being of mothers showed a considerable influence on the children’s mental health during a pandemic. The results underline the necessity to consider unique needs of family members and to offer specific support in the current crisis focusing on attachment issues.

scholarly journals Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e042871
Author(s):  
Anne C Gadermann ◽  
Kimberly C Thomson ◽  
Chris G Richardson ◽  
Monique Gagné ◽  
Corey McAuliffe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Children’S Mental Health ◽  
Children's Mental Health ◽  
Health Impacts ◽  
Positive Interactions ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Families With Children ◽  
At Home

ObjectivesIn the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, school/child care closures and employment instability have created unprecedented conditions for families raising children at home. This study describes the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with children in Canada.Design, setting and participantsThis descriptive study used a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of adults living in Canada (n=3000) to examine the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes among parents with children <18 years old living at home (n=618) were compared with the rest of the sample. Data were collected via an online survey between 14 May to 29 May 2020.Outcome measuresParticipants reported on changes to their mental health since the onset of the pandemic and sources of stress, emotional responses, substance use patterns and suicidality/self-harm. Additionally, parents identified changes in their interactions with their children, impacts on their children’s mental health and sources of support accessed.Results44.3% of parents with children <18 years living at home reported worse mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with 35.6% of respondents without children <18 living at home, χ2 (1, n=3000)=16.2, p<0.001. More parents compared with the rest of the sample reported increased alcohol consumption (27.7% vs 16.1%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=43.8, p<0.001), suicidal thoughts/feelings (8.3% vs 5.2%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=8.0, p=0.005) and stress about being safe from physical/emotional domestic violence (11.5% vs 7.9%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=8.1, p=0.005). 24.8% (95% CI 21.4 to 28.4) of parents reported their children’s mental health had worsened since the pandemic. Parents also reported more frequent negative as well as positive interactions with their children due to the pandemic (eg, more conflicts, 22.2% (95% CI 19.0 to 25.7); increased feelings of closeness, 49.7% (95% CI 45.7 to 53.7)).ConclusionsThis study identifies that families with children <18 at home have experienced deteriorated mental health due to the pandemic. Population-level responses are required to adequately respond to families’ diverse needs and mitigate the potential for widening health and social inequities for parents and children.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document