COVID‐19 and home confinement: A study on fathers, father–child relationships and child adjustment

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to explore fathers' adjustment and father–child relationships during the first peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) outbreak (April 2020). More particularly, the study analysed paternal perceptions of changes concerning familial economic conditions and children's psychological difficulties (viz., emotional problems and hyperactivity) during the lockdown produced by the current pandemic. Furthermore, we investigated the following correlates of fathers' parenting stress: socio‐demographic condition, paternal individual stress, anxiety, depression and changes in the father–child relationship during the outbreak. Methods A total of 102 fathers (mean age = 41.60 years; SD = 11.54) with minor children were recruited through an online survey and reported data about their socio‐economic condition, anxiety, and depressive levels, parenting stress, offspring's adjustment, and changes in their relationship with their children. Results As for the economic conditions, participants were equally distributed between those who did not perceive changes and those who perceived a worsening. With regard to changes in the child's psychological difficulties, results showed that levels of children's emotional problems and inattention/hyperactivity had significantly increased during the lockdown period. A multiple linear regression analysis highlighted that the principal predictor of paternal parenting stress was living in the regions most affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic, followed by high levels of paternal anxiety symptomatology and high levels of worsening of the relationship with the child during the pandemic. Conclusions Overall, our study suggests to consider the effects of COVID‐19 on fathers as well, as they have been rather overlooked by previous research that has mainly focused on mothers, and to plan specific interventions able to also take them into account.

Parental Mediation of COVID-19 News and Children’s Emotion Regulation during Lockdown

“…Moreover, the sample was mainly composed by mothers: Therefore, future studies could be specifically conducted also on fathers in order to detect their specific risky or protective role in their children's psychological well-being. To our knowledge, only one study examined how fathers' parenting stress affected children's psychological functioning during the Italian COVID-19 lockdown (Trumello et al, 2021). Third, the cross-sectional design of the study prevents a causal interpretation of the relationships between variables; a longitudinal design would be appropriate to examine these relationships, also taking into account the evolving situation of the pandemic.…”

Internet Addiction: The Role of Parental Care and Mental Health in Adolescence

“…Moreover, in the evaluation of the complexity of factors that may be entangled in the onset of IA, future studies should also include the evaluation of the relationship with peers, which is particularly salient in this period of the life cycle. Finally, this study was carried out before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore it does not take into consideration the huge changes that the pandemic has produced on parent–child relationships [ 87 , 88 , 89 ] and Internet addiction [ 90 ].…”

Association of Paternity Leave with Impaired Father–Infant Bonding: Findings from a Nationwide Online Survey in Japan

“…As a result, fathers on leave may suffer from guilt coupled with a fear of negative impact on promotion, which may in turn make them more prone to feelings of anger toward their children. Several social measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the loss of opportunities to improve parenting skills [ 40 ], introduction of social distancing policy [ 41 ], and changes in work style and workload [ 42 ], might have worsened the association between paternity leave and father–infant bonding through the mechanisms we have discussed. Further study is needed to elucidate how paternity leave affects father–infant bonding, using a prospective design that also incorporates assessments of parenting skills (e.g., Toddler Care Questionnaire) [ 43 ], loneliness (e.g., UCLA Loneliness Scale) [ 44 ], and workplace social capital.…”