Supporting Families to Protect Child Health: Parenting Quality and Household Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background: Supportive parenting is critical for promoting healthy child development in the face of stressors, such as those occurring during COVID-19. Here, we address a knowledge gap regarding specific household risk factors associated with parenting quality during the pandemic and incorporate first-person accounts of family challenges and needs. Methods: Mixed methods were applied to data collected between April 14th-28th, 2020 from the "Parenting During the Pandemic" survey. Participants included 656 primary caregivers (e.g., mothers, fathers, foster parents) of least one child age 1.5-8 years of which 555 (84.6%) responded to at least one parenting questionnaire. Parenting quality was assessed across stressful, negative, and positive parenting dimensions. Household risk was examined across pandemiclinked (e.g., caregiver depression, unmet childcare needs) and stable factors (i.e., annual income, mental illness history). Significant correlates were examined with regressions in Mplus. Thematic analysis identified caregiver challenges and unmet needs from open-ended questions. Findings: Caregiver depression, higher child parity, unmet childcare needs, and relationship distress predicted lower-quality parenting. Caregiver depression was the most significant predictor across every parenting dimension, with analyses indicating medium effect sizes, ds = .39-.73. Qualitative findings highlighted severe strains on parent capacities including managing psychological distress, limited social supports, and too much unstructured time. Interpretations: Lower quality parenting during COVID-19 is associated with multiple household and pandemic risk factors, with caregiver depression consistently linked to parentchild relationship disruptions. Focused efforts are needed to address caregiver mental health to protect child health as part of the pandemic response.

The psychological and economic toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latina mothers in primarily low-income essential worker families.

“…The participants in the current study are Latina mothers, and the economic and psychological toll may not be limited to their own well-being. Increasing caregiving responsibilities and decreasing psychological and economic resources may have repercussions on caregiving quality and children’s health (Roos et al, 2020). Specifically, theoretical and empirical research show that parents’ psychological distress often spills over to impact their ability to provide sensitive and responsive care to their children, potentially jeopardizing child well-being (Conger et al, 2012; McLoyd, 1990).…”

Parental mental health and child anxiety during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Latin America

“…The confluence of these factors heightens parenting stress and increase the risk for parental burnout (Davidson et al., 2020 ). Parental stress/burnout and other mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety, are detrimental to children's well‐being because they contribute to low‐quality parenting during the pandemic (Roos et al., 2020 ). This is problematic because high‐quality parenting, marked by parental awareness of children's needs and the use of sensitive and responsive caregiving strategies, underlies optimal child development (Griffith, 2020 ; Maggi et al., 2010 ; World Health Organization and Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development, 1999 ).…”

Students’ frequency of access to school library materials in transformative times

“…They found more "low-quality" parenting as evidenced by more stress, more negative parenting behaviors, and less positive parenting behaviors. Parents also reported feeling doubt about their parenting and teaching abilities during the pandemic (Roos et al, 2021). Van Tilburg et al (2020) also surveyed parents and found, not surprisingly, high rates of stress, clinical anxiety, and depression among parents.…”

“…Even parents with educational training have found schooling during the pandemic difficult (Harris, 2020). Roos et al (2021) surveyed parents regarding the quality of their parenting during the pandemic. They found more "low-quality" parenting as evidenced by more stress, more negative parenting behaviors, and less positive parenting behaviors.…”