COVID-19 Life Events Spill-Over on Family Functioning and Adolescent Adjustment

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent societal and governmental responses have had demonstrated impact on family life around the world (Craig & Churchill, 2020; Chung, Lanier, et al., 2020; Gambin et al., 2020). Much of this impact has involved stressors which may present challenges to family functioning (Chung, Chan, et al., 2020; Fontanesi et al., 2020) and influence both the mental and physical health of children and parents (Segre et al., 2020; Saurabh & Ranjan, 2020; Brown et al., 2020; Orgilés et al., 2020; Patrick et al., 2020). However, the pandemic has also presented opportunities for the preservation or improvement of family functioning (Orgilés et al., 2020). While research on the COVID-19 pandemic is growing, still unclear are the ways in which family functioning is impacted by pandemic stressors, the factors which may serve to preserve family functioning, and the ways in which youth’s mental health may relate to family functioning during the pandemic.

The current longitudinal study examined parent and youth perceptions of how positive and negative life events associated with the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in family functioning (hypothesis 1) as well as youth functioning (hypothesis 5). We tested the direct effects of parent- and youth-reported stress and positive events (hypothesis 2) as well as 'spillover’ effects of these events on parent mental health functioning and marital relationships (hypothesis 3). Additionally, we evaluated the role of external social support received by parents as a buffer against pandemic-related changes in family functioning (hypothesis 4). Finally, we assessed whether pre-pandemic family functioning predicted pandemic-related stressors experienced during the pandemic, and whether this in turn predicted family functioning during the pandemic (hypothesis 6).

Families from the southeastern United States (n=101 parent-youth dyads, 80% European American, 48% boys, and 87% mothers) completed surveys during the early months of the pandemic (May to July 2020) and 1.5 years prior. We tested the six hypotheses based on parent report (see Figure 1 for hypotheses 2-5; see Figure 2 for hypothesis 6; hypothesis 1 not displayed) and child report (not displayed).

By child-report of family functioning, open family communication, parent-child relationship quality, and family satisfaction all decreased during the pandemic, though no such changes were found by parent-report. Several forms of parent-reported pandemic-related negative life events and child-reports of pandemic-related school-related stress predicted changes in family functioning. Moreover, positive life events during the pandemic directly predicted child reports of family functioning, whereas evidence for spill-over effects of parent-reported pandemic-related positive life events on family functioning were also found. In addition, parents’ receipt of social support during the pandemic protected against decrements in family functioning and indirectly protected against increases in child symptomatology. School-related stress during the pandemic was found to predict increases in child-reported symptomatology. Finally, several aspects of family functioning pre-pandemic impacted both parent- and child-reports of positive and negative life events experienced during the pandemic. The current findings illuminate how experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic are linked with family functioning, with implications for how to support families during this time.

Authors

• Adrianna N Richards, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Presenting Author

• Rachel Petrie, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Andrea Hussong, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Allegra Midgette, Texas A&M University - College Station
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer L Coffman, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  Non-Presenting Author

• Taylor Evan Thomas, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Penelope A Chirolde, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author

• Juliet L Alegria, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Non-Presenting Author