Parental stress during COVID-19: A brief report on the role of distance education and family resources in an Italian sample

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, school closures have affected over 1.5 billion children worldwide. Many countries implemented a rapid transition to distance education (DE), but the effects of such transition on family life remain largely underexplored. The current study used a cross-sectional, correlational survey design to explore the role of DE and family resources (parenting self-efficacy and family functioning) in perceived stress among Italian parents of first-grade children ( N = 89). Results of hierarchical multiple regression indicated that, after controlling for stressful events experienced during school closure, parents’ difficulty to manage children’s DE was positively linked to levels of stress. However, this association became nonsignificant after adding family resources to the model, with more parental self-efficacy and good family functioning predicting less perceived stress. The findings underscore the importance of supporting positive resources within the family environment to reduce DE-related parental stress in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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

“…Research suggests that the consequential increase in childcare responsibilities at home [ 5 ] alongside reduced contact with social networks led to increased parental stress [ 6 , 7 ]. In particular, parents who perceived themselves to be less capable in home-schooling their children (whether due to a lack of resources, support, or other family commitments) experienced significant psychological distress [ 8 , 9 ] as did families experiencing economic hardship [ 10 ].…”

The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study on the Emotional-Behavioral Sequelae for Children and Adolescents with Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Their Families

“…Children with difficulties in executive functions [ 37 ], predisposition to boredom, and low levels of self-control may have more difficulties with Distant Learning (DL), although remote school lessons can favor a personalization of teaching [ 38 ] and greater flexibility in the organization of tasks [ 37 ]. During DL, parents also experienced higher levels of stress, which may depend on family functioning, parental self-efficacy perception [ 39 ], and the support provided by the school, particularly in the cases of school-supported children [ 37 ].…”

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

“…Research suggests that the consequential increase in childcare responsibilities at home (4) alongside reduced contact with social networks led to increased parental stress (5, 6). In particular, parents who perceived themselves to be less capable in home-schooling their children (whether due to a lack of resources, support, or other family commitments) experienced significant psychological distress (7, 8) as did families experiencing economic hardship (9).…”