Journal article
Parent Mental Health and Child Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Children and youth services review, Vol.148, 106888
05/2023
DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106888
PMCID: PMC9943737
PMID: 36846210
Abstract
Objective
Child behavior, which encompasses both internalizing and externalizing behaviors, is associated with many outcomes, including concurrent and future mental health, academic success, and social well-being. Thus, understanding sources of variability in child behavior is crucial for developing strategies aimed at equipping children with necessary resources. Parental mental health (PMH) difficulties and preterm birth may be risk factors for child behavior (CB) problems. Moreover, not only are PMH difficulties more common among parents of preterm children, but preterm children might also be more sensitive than full-term children to environmental stressors. In this study, we examined how PMH and CB changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, how change in PMH related to change in CB, and whether preterm children were more susceptible than full-term children to change in PMH.
Methods
Parents that participated in a study prior to the pandemic were invited to complete follow-up questionnaires during the pandemic about PMH and CB. Forty-eight parents completed follow-up questionnaires.
Results
Our results suggested that parental depression symptoms, children’s internalizing symptoms, and children’s externalizing symptoms significantly increased, and parental well-being significantly decreased during the pandemic. Change in parental depression symptoms, but not change in parental anxiety symptoms or parental well-being, was associated with change in children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Prematurity did not moderate change in PMH, change in CB, or the effect of change in PMH on change in CB.
Conclusion
Our findings have the potential to inform efforts aimed at equipping children with behavioral resources.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Parent Mental Health and Child Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Creators
- Francesca Scheiber - Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesPaige M. Nelson - Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesAllison Momany - Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesKelli K. Ryckman - Department of EpidemiologyÖ. Ece Demir-Lira - Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences DeLTA Center Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Children and youth services review, Vol.148, 106888
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106888
- PMID
- 36846210
- PMCID
- PMC9943737
- NLM abbreviation
- Child Youth Serv Rev
- ISSN
- 0190-7409
- eISSN
- 1873-7765
- Publisher
- Published by Elsevier Ltd
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 02/22/2023
- Date published
- 05/2023
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry; Stead Family Department of Pediatrics; Epidemiology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Center for Social Science Innovation; Neonatology
- Record Identifier
- 9984368431502771
Metrics
4 Record Views