Parenting in a pandemic: Family adversity and resilience during the onset of COVID-19

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

COVID-19 created unprecedented disruption for families during Spring, 2020. The pandemic led to widespread closures of child care centers and schools and, for many parents, necessitated shifting to working from home while simultaneously caring for their children and overseeing remote learning. Some parents also experienced economic hardship and stress due to the impact of COVID-19. This symposium will present four papers to begin to elucidate family well-being during the pandemic. In the first two papers, factors influencing parents’ mental health are considered. The first paper documents rates of reported anxiety and depression symptoms in parents (N = 152) in Detroit, Michigan. The role that support from the school system plays is considered, as well as mediators and moderators of this association. The second paper examines reported anxiety and depression in parents (N = 687; 641 mothers and 46 fathers) primarily from Canada. Risk and protective factors, including mental health history, stressful events, financial strain, and martial quality, are considered. The next paper considers parents’ mental health, COVID-related stress, and perceived stress in relation to child abuse potential in parents (N = 183) from the western United States. The final paper includes evaluation of the bidirectional relationship between parents’ stress and children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors (N = 455), with particular focus on differential impact of children’s developmental stage. Overall, these four papers provide insight into the well-being of diverse families across multiple locations in North America. Findings can inform policy, interventions, and systemic responses to the pandemic.

Sub Unit

• Family Context & Processes

Chair

• Lucy McGoron, Wayne State University

Individual Presentations

• Parents’ Mental Health during School Closures due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of School Support - Presenting Author: Lucy McGoron, Wayne State University; Non-Presenting Author: Julie Wargo Aikins, Wayne State University; Non-Presenting Author: Toni Lewis; Non-Presenting Author: Christopher Joseph Trentacosta, Wayne State University; Non-Presenting Author: Marjorie Beeghly, Wayne State University; Non-Presenting Author: Elizabeth Towner, Wayne State University School of Medicine

• Parental Depression, Anxiety, and Mental Health Service Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic - Presenting Author: Emily E Cameron, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Kayla Marie Joyce, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Chantal P Delaquis, Maastricht University; Non-Presenting Author: Kristin Reynolds, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Jennifer Protudjer, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Leslie E. Roos, University of Manitoba

• Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Parental Perceived Stress and Child Abuse Potential During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Presenting Author: Samantha Brown, Colorado State University; Non-Presenting Author: Jenalee Doom, University of Denver; Non-Presenting Author: Stephanie Lechuga-Pena, Arizona State University; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah E Watamura, University of Denver; Non-Presenting Author: Tiffany Koppels, Colorado State University

• Pandemic Parenting: The Short-Term Impact of COVID-19 on Parent and Child Functioning - Presenting Author: Ruth Speidel, University of Toronto; Non-Presenting Author: D. Zelechoski, Valparaiso University