Poster #75 - The Role of Siblings in Moderating Psychological Distress Among Young Adults During the First Covid-19 Lockdown in the United Kingdom

• In Event: Poster Session 11

Abstract

Objective: This study examines whether living with parents and siblings moderated the adverse effects of the first national lockdown in the United Kingdom on levels of psychological distress among young people, and at whether there were differences by gender.

Background: Research suggests that young people suffered particularly large declines in their mental health during the pandemic, with young women being more adversely affected than young men. Previous studies have examined how young adults’ mental health is affected by returning home to live with parents. Yet, because this support is often given in response to crisis (such as unemployment) it is difficult for researchers to identify the role that families play in mitigating any adverse effects. In contrast, covid-19 was a shock that affected all young people and, as a result, provides a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of the role that living with parents and siblings plays in protecting young peoples’ mental health during periods of adversity.

Method: Data from the nationally representative Millennium Cohort Study, which followed children, born in 2000, and their families across their lives, was linked to the special Covid-19 Wave 1 web survey [https://cls.ucl.ac.uk/covid-19-survey/], carried out May 2020, during the first national lockdown (N = 2,260). The Kessler (K6) psychological distress scale was used to assess how living with parents and siblings during lockdown influenced young men and women’s mental health during lockdown.


Results: Our results suggest that living with siblings was important for moderating levels of psychological distress among young men during the first lockdown. For young women living with parents was associated with reduced distress but co-residing with siblings provided no additional benefit. These associations are stable even after a range of individual and family factors (including socio-economic status, family structure, and economic activity) are controlled for.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings show that for young men living with siblings was strongly associated with reduced psychological distress during the pandemic. For young women living with parents was important for reducing levels of distress. The findings have important implications for helping identify those who may be most at risk of psychological distress during periods of crisis.

Authors

• Susan harkness, university of bristol
  Presenting Author

• Lisa Waddell