Families in the Covid-19 pandemic

Parental stress, parent mental health and the occurrence of adverse childhood experiences—results of a representative survey in Germany

Datos Bibliográficos

ID23384792
AutoresClaudia Calvano (0000-0003-2423-9174, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, autor de correspondencia), Lara Engelke (0009-0006-6134-9646, Freie Universität Berlin), Jessica Di Bella (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Jana Kindermann (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Babette Renneberg (0000-0003-2177-3566, Freie Universität Berlin), Sibylle Winter (0000-0001-8549-6284, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Sibylle M Winter
Año2022
Volumen31
Número7
Páginas1-13
Fecha de publicación2022-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEuropean Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1018-8827 • E-ISSN: 1435-165X
EditorialSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s00787-021-01739-0
OpenAlexW4205858021
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas117
Referencias citadas34

Parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic is highly challenging, with parents having to meet various demands simultaneously. An increase in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been widely predicted, but empirical evidence is still scarce. This study aimed to (1) generate representative data on pandemic-related stress, parental stress, general stress, parental subjective and mental health, and the occurrence of ACEs; (2) identify risk factors for an increase in ACEs, and (3) provide qualitative data on parents’ experiences. A representative survey was conducted in Germany in August 2020 with 1024 parents of underage children ( M age = 41.70, 50.9% female). More than 50% of parents reported being stressed by social distancing and the closure of schools and childcare facilities. Parental stress increased significantly during the pandemic ( d = 0.21). Subgroups of parents also reported very high levels of depressive symptoms (12.3%) and anxiety (9.7%). Up to one-third of the sample reported ACEs in the child’s lifetime. In this group, 29.1% reported an increase in children witnessing domestic violence during the pandemic, and 42.2% an increase verbal emotional abuse. These families were characterized by higher parental stress, job losses, and younger parent and child age. Positive aspects of the pandemic related primarily to personal or family life (e.g. slower pace of life, increase in family time). While some parents coped well, a particularly negative pattern was observed in a subgroup of families that experienced an increase in ACEs. Parental stress emerged as important target point for interventions addressing the negative sequelae of the pandemic.

Anxiety · Child and adolescent psychiatry · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Developmental psychology · Disease · Family disruption · Mental health · Pandemic · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Social distance · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Medicine · Psychology