Identifying and Addressing the Needs of Children Who Lost a Parent or Caregiver to COVID

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

Moderator: Joy D. Osofsky, Ph.D.
Panelists: Ann Masten, Ph.D., Brenda Jones Harden, Ph.D., Dan Treglia, Ph.D., JJ Cutuli, Ph.D.

The over one million COVID-19 deaths in the United States include parents and caregivers. These losses can be devastating for the development and long-term well-being of children, potentially leading to mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD and high risk behaviors including substance abuse, school problems, risk of violence, and lower employment rates. It has been estimated that over 200,000 children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 through December 2021 with over 17,000 children losing their only within household caregiver. Racial and ethnic disparities in caregiver loss exceed disparities in COVID-19 deaths. Black and Hispanic children were more than twice as likely to lose a caregiver than their White counterparts, and American Indian/Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander children had caregiver loss rates between three and four times those of White children. Disparities are even higher in children losing their only caregiver, which creates even more acute mental health, educational, and community concerns requiring attention. Major disasters like the pandemic commonly lead to an increase in out-of-control and violent behaviors among youth who experience losses of homes, community and family. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the losses without needed supports are much greater. Caregiver deaths due to COVID-19 are a salient threat to the functioning of families and children, compounding additional challenges to physical and mental health as well as economic stability disproportionately imposed on historically disadvantaged populations.

Sub Unit

• Prevention and Interventions

Moderator

• Joy D Osofsky, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

Panelists

• Ann S. Masten, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

• Brenda Jones Harden, Columbia University

• Dan Treglia, University of Pennsylvania

• J. J. Cutuli, Nemours Children’s Health System