Parent-Adolescent Coregulation of Internalizing Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Families and Youth in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Examining Mental Health and Recreation

Abstract

Introduction: To contain COVID-19, drastic measures were taken that have impacted families’ daily functioning and wellbeing (Orgilés et al., 2020). The impact of COVID-19 may be particularly salient during adolescence, a period characterized by autonomy seeking, increased orientation to peers, and heightened stress sensitivity (Romeo, 2013). Despite adolescence being marked by greater individuation from parents, COVID-19 regulations have forced adolescents to spend more time with their family. Parent-adolescent dynamics mutually shape family members’ mental health (Lougheed, 2020), suggesting the impact of COVID-19 on one member’s health may have similar effects for the other member. The current paper examined the following research questions: 1) do parent-adolescent dyads exhibit concordant increases in internalizing symptoms during COVID-19, and 2) does COVID-related stress impact changes in internalizing symptoms, as well as coregulation of internalizing symptoms. We hypothesized parent-adolescent dyads would exhibit concordant increases in internalizing symptoms over time (i.e., parent’s increases in internalizing symptoms would be associated with similar directional changes for their adolescent) and that COVID-related stress would be the driver of concordant changes in internalizing symptoms.

Methods: A 5-week survey-based study was conducted on parents (Mage = 49.26, SDage = 6.28, 78.6% Female) and their adolescent child (Mage = 16.16, SDage = 1.14, 59.5% Female). Families (N = 76 dyads) were recruited April 11th to July 21st through high schools or social media platforms. Weekly surveys measured COVID-related stress (Ladouceur, 2020), depressive symptoms (CES-D), and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7; Spitzer et al., 2006), and were completed independently on the same day by family members. Data was collected from 87 dyads that resided on the East Coast (84.8%). Families identified as Non-Hispanic White (Adolescent 71.1%, Parent 76.8%), Black/African American (Adolescent 6.6%, Parent 7.3%), Asian-American (Adolescent 7.9%, Parent 7.3%), Multiracial (Adolescent 11.8%, Parent 4.9%) or Hispanic (Adolescent 1.3%, Parent 2.4%).

Results and Discussion: Actor-partner interdependence models were employed to measure changes over time and associations among dyad’s internalizing symptoms. COVID-related stress was a predictor of individual trajectories and coregulation of symptoms. Parent and adolescent depressive symptoms did not change over time; however, adolescent’s experienced decreases in anxiety over time. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated within dyads, changes in adolescent depressive symptoms over time were associated with similar changes in parent’s depressive symptoms (b = .30, p < .05). Similarly, parent’s changes in depressive symptoms over time were associated with similar changes in adolescent depressive symptoms (b = .31, p < .05). COVID-related stress was not related to changes in, or coregulation of depressive symptoms over time. However, for anxiety symptoms, parent’s COVID-related stress was associated with stronger coregulation of anxiety symptoms within the dyad (b = .28, p < .05; see Figure 1).

The present study highlights how COVID-19 has impacted family wellbeing during a developmental period considered a turning point for psychopathology (Cicchetti & Rogosch, 2002). Future analyses will examine how specific parent-adolescent interactions changed over the course of the pandemic and their impact on adolescent mental health.

Authors

• Evelyn Mercado, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Presenting Author

• Marielena Barbieri, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Non-Presenting Author

• Se Min Suh, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  Non-Presenting Author