The moderating effect of parent-child relationship on children’s mental health during COVID-19 quarantine

The lived experience of stress for parents in the context of COVID‐19–related disruption

“…In studies of pandemic‐related disasters prior to COVID‐19, prospective associations have been mapped between parents' anxiety and fear and the development of acute anxiety in children (Remmerswaal & Muris, 2011). Similarly, research conducted in the COVID‐19 context has identified poor parental mental health as one of the main stressors for young children during quarantine (Wang, 2022). Recent cross‐sectional survey data have also shown associations between parenting stress and higher child anxiety (Lee et al, 2021).…”

“…The clear gap in the literature is first in understanding from parents' own experiential perspective the cluster of factors associated with increased stress during the COVID‐19 era (i.e., applying a risk framework), and second learning from the lived experience of parents for whom this has not been true (i.e., understanding from a resilience framework)—that is, parents reporting low stress or indeed mental health benefits under identical statewide lockdown conditions. Given close links between the quality of the parent–child relationship and children's social and emotional competencies (Wang, 2022), understanding more about the unique experiences of stress for parents may help to optimize targeted support for parents and children throughout current and future pandemic conditions.…”