Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of parents with young children: a qualitative interview study

Abstract

Background Parents have faced unique challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including mobility constraints, isolation measures, working from home, and the closure of schools and childcare facilities. There is presently a lack of in-depth qualitative research exploring how these changes have affected parents mental health and wellbeing. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews with 29 parents of young children. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results We identified five superordinate themes affecting participant mental health and wellbeing: 1) navigation of multiple responsibilities and change inside the home; 2) disruption to home life; 3) changes to usual support networks; 4) changes in personal relationships; and 5) use of coping strategies. Participants described stress and exhaustion from navigating multiple pressures and conflicting responsibilities with home, schooling, and work, without their usual support networks and in the context of disrupted routines. Family roles and relationships were sometimes tested, however, many parents identified coping strategies that protected their wellbeing including access to outdoor space, spending time away from family, and avoiding conflict and pandemic-related media coverage. Conclusions Employers must be cognisant of the challenges that the pandemic has placed on parents, particularly women and lone parents. Flexible working arrangements and support might therefore relieve stress and increase productivity. Coping strategies identified by parents in this study could be harnessed and encouraged by employers and policymakers to promote positive wellbeing during times of stress throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Capturing the experiences of UK healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A structural topic modelling analysis of 7,412 free-text survey responses

“…This has been reported previously [21,22], as have the challenges of balancing personal and professional stressors. For example, home working was experienced positively by some, providing time to slow down and connect with family, but others reported this to have been a negative experience, with social isolation, home schooling while trying to work, and physical health impacts all issues of concern [31,32]. These findings were somewhat gendered, with women more likely to discuss home working than men, and this echoes previous qualitative research looking at female HCWs' experiences of the pandemic [33].…”

Understanding barriers and facilitators to compliance with UK social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative interview study

“…This included people with mental health conditions, long term health conditions, parents of young children, older (aged 70+) and younger (aged 18-24) adults. How the pandemic has impacted the mental health of each of these groups has been reported elsewhere (Burton et al, 2020;Dawes et al, 2021;Fisher et al, 2020;McKinlay et al, 2020;McKinlay et al, 2021).…”

“…Strategies that minimise harm among these groups such as allowing people to socialise in small groups and acknowledging the hardship that people may be experiencing as well as providing appropriate emotional, financial and social support opportunities may help to reduce fatigue among populations (Organisation, 2020). The introduction of support bubbles, whereby individuals living alone or parents with young children were able to form an extended household with one other person or family, were described as a lifeline for many who were struggling with their mental health (Burton et al;Dawes et al 2021), suggesting they should continue to be implemented and prioritised if social distancing restrictions continue. This was Finally, the environments in which people live and the public spaces that people use need to be made as amenable as possible to social distancing.…”

Factors affecting the mental health of pregnant women using UK maternity services during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative interview study

“…The preliminary findings were also presented to the CSS qualitative research team, a group of researchers who have used RTA to analyse previous work on the mental health impact of the pandemic among specific groups. (31)(32)(33)…”

“…Introduction of the support bubble system whereby one household could form a support network with one other household (44) was a key change in social policy that brought about noticeable differences for participants struggling with isolation, miscarriage, new motherhood, childcare demands and adverse mental health. For other groups, including domestic abuse survivors (45) and parents with young children (32) many have also gained important sources of social support resulting from this policy. However, bringing these support bubbles to women earlier during pregnancy (rather than just post-birth) could have helped to mitigate further issues reported in this study.…”