Easing pandemic-related restrictions, easing psychosocial stress factors in families with infants and toddlers? Cross-sectional results of the three wave CoronabaBY study from Germany.

Abstract

Background: Families with young children are particularly vulnerable for the stressors induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, studies on their psychosocial situation during the course of the crisis are still sparse.Methods: In a comparison of three survey waves (wave I and III = high incidences), we cross-sectionally investigated the proportion of families (Ntotal = 2,940) with children aged 0-3 years experiencing pandemic burden, parenting stress, and parental and child mental health problems in relation to COVID-19 incidences and restrictions in Southern Germany. Potential influencing factors were also explored.Results: The number of parents with a high pandemic burden decreased from 65.3% to 57.3% in wave II and rose to 62.2% in wave III (significant changes except wave II vs. III). Participants with high parenting stress increased from 38.2% to 46.1% and 51.2% (all significant changes). The number of mothers with affective symptoms remained constant with a maximum of 28.3%. The proportion of affected fathers decreased from 25.4% in wave I to 14.3% in wave II and rose significantly to 28.4% in wave III. Infants with crying sleeping problems increased significantly from 26.4% in wave I to 35.5% in wave III. Toddlers’ emotional and behavioral problems showed a similar trend with 23.9% being affected in wave III (no significant changes after adjusting for child age and gender). Increased family conflicts during the pandemic were the strongest predictor for parenting stress (ß = .355), maternal (ß= .305), infants’ (ß= .149) and toddlers’ (ß= .216) mental health problems.Conclusions: Psychosocial stress factors in families with infants and toddlers remained highly pronounced and even partly increased irrespective of pandemic events. The ongoing heightened support needs of families with young children must remain a focus and promoting infants' mental health as well as strengthening a positive family microclimate should be a top priority in the aftermath of COVID-19.Trial registration: The study was pre-registered in OSF (https://osf.io/search/?q=tksh5&page=1).Keywords: Parent Psychosocial Functioning, Infant Mental Health, COVID-19, Depression, Anxiety, Early Life Adversity, Infancy and Early Childhood, Parenting, Stress, Pandemic