Poster #74 - Protective Role of Positive Experiences in the Association between Pandemic Interruption Stress and Parenting Stress

• In Event: Poster Session 11

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, families with children faced rapid interruptions to their routines as they were required to navigate challenges such as balancing working from home with loss of childcare and homeschooling demands. Emerging research has found increased parental stress as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown (Brown et al., 2020; Adams et al., 2021; Bates et al., 2021). Parental stress has been linked to negative parenting behaviors (e.g., harsh discipline, abusive parenting) both prior to (Beckerman et al., 2017) and during the pandemic (Chung et al., 2020). Despite the overwhelmingly negative consequences of the pandemic, researchers have found that families also experienced positive effects (e.g., more quality time, improved relationships; Achterberg et al., 2021; Balenzano et al., 2020). Given the contrast between experienced positive and negative effects, the current study sought to evaluate whether positive experiences moderated the association between pandemic interruption stress (i.e., stress related to transitioning to home-based work and education) and parenting stress within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data were collected utilizing MTurk from 308 mothers of children in kindergarten through sixth grade nationwide (Mage=37.59 years; 76.9% White, 7.5% Black, 6.8% Pacific Islander, 5.5% multiracial/multiethnic, 2.6% Hispanic/Latina and 0.3% Other). The majority of participants reported being married or living with a partner (82.8%) and having obtained a bachelors, graduate, or professional degree (60.7%). The median household reported income was $70,000, with 28.6% of caregivers reporting that their child received free or reduced cost lunch at school. To assess Pandemic Interruption Stress at Time 1 (April 2020), participants were asked to rate three items related to loss of childcare, impacts to child’s learning/education, and balancing working from home with familial needs. At Time 2 (5 weeks after Time 1), participants completed a novel Positive Experiences measure, ranking their agreement with 14 statements related to positive experiences that have come as a result of the pandemic (e.g., spending more quality time with children, increase in level of exercise). At Time 3 (11 weeks after Time 1), participants completed the Parental Stress Scale (Berry and Jones, 1995), an 18-item questionnaire assessing parents’ feelings of stress related to their parenting role.

Analyses explored the moderating effect of positive experiences on the relation between pandemic interruption stress and parenting stress (see Figure 1). Results indicated that positive experiences significantly moderated the association, (p < 0.01; see Figure 2). In the context of high positive experiences, the association was not significant (t(3) = -0.021, p = .98); however, in the context of low positive experiences, there was a significant positive association (t(3) = 3.604, p <.01). Findings support the protective role of positive experiences in the association between pandemic interruption stress and parenting stress. Additional implications of these findings will be discussed.

Authors

• Kaitlyn Larkin, Northeastern Illinois University
  Presenting Author

• Jordan R Kaye, Northern Illinois University

• Karamveer Kaur, Northern Illinois University

• Joanna N. Keane, Northern Illinois University

• Colleen Bartlett, Northern Illinois University

• Laura D Pittman, Northern Illinois University

• David J Bridgett, Northern Illinois University

• Elizabeth C. Shelleby, Northern Illinois University