ArticleBMC psychology2021
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of parents with young children: a qualitative interview study.
Article in BMC psychology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed.
- Pandemic Shadows: Unmasking Gender Disparities in Academic Productivity and Work-Family Conflict.Canadian review of sociology = Revue canadienne de sociologie · 2026Article
- COVID-19-induced educational disruptions and children's executive functioning: A longitudinal cohort study.Developmental psychology · 2026Article
- A Qualitative Study of Center Director, Teacher, and Parent Input for Delivering a Virtual Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Model in the Aftermath of COVID-19.Early childhood education journal · 2026Article
- The Feasibility of Remote Visual-World Eye-Tracking With Young Children.Open mind : discoveries in cognitive science · 2025Article
- Evaluation of a pediatric navigation program within primary care: a quantitative analysis guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- See us, hear us! children, adolescents and families in Saskatchewan coping with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2024Article
- "Will I survive this?": A qualitative exploration of the wider impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of pregnant and parenting youth and their children in Canada.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Family Dynamics, Socioeconomic Hardships, and Health Risk Behaviours of Bulgarian Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Gender differences in sleep behaviors under China's universal two-child policy.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Work-family interface during COVID-19: a sociolinguistic study of working mums' identity and mental health.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Stressors and Silver Linings during COVID-19: Implications for Supporting Families with Young Children in a Post-Pandemic World.Maternal and child health journal · 2024Article
- Psychometric Validation of the Portuguese Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (PT-OCS).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Article
- "Trying to remain calm…but I do reach my limit sometimes": An exploration of the meaning of gentle parenting.PloS one · 2024Article
- Families Facing Pandemic Modifications of Everyday Life: A Mixed Study on Mothers' and Children's Emotional Reactions and Regulation Strategies.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- The Recover Study: A Cross-Sectional Examination of the Relationship Between Ontario Parents' Resilience and COVID-19-Related Stressors.Family journal (Alexandria, Va.) · 2023Article
- Parental Burnout During the Second Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Role of Parenting Stressors and Coparenting Support.Family journal (Alexandria, Va.) · 2023Article
- Experiences of parents of children with rare neurogenetic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.BMC psychology · 2023Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on Referral Patterns and Service Delivery for an Integrated Behavioral Health Program.Families in society : the journal of contemporary human services · 2023Article
- Child Tax Credit, Spending Patterns, and Mental Health: Mediation Analyses of Data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey during COVID-19.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundParents have faced unique challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including mobility constraints, isolation measures, working from home, and the closure of schools and childcare facilities. There is presently a lack of in-depth qualitative research exploring how these changes have affected parents' mental health and wellbeing.
methodsSemi-structured qualitative interviews with 29 parents of young children. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
resultsWe identified five superordinate themes affecting participant mental health and wellbeing: (1) navigation of multiple responsibilities and change inside the home; (2) disruption to home life; (3) changes to usual support networks; (4) changes in personal relationships; and (5) use of coping strategies. Participants described stress and exhaustion from navigating multiple pressures and conflicting responsibilities with home, schooling, and work, without their usual support networks and in the context of disrupted routines. Family roles and relationships were sometimes tested, however, many parents identified coping strategies that protected their wellbeing including access to outdoor space, spending time away from family, and avoiding conflict and pandemic-related media coverage.
conclusionsEmployers must be cognisant of the challenges that the pandemic has placed on parents, particularly women and lone parents. Flexible working arrangements and support might therefore relieve stress and increase productivity. Coping strategies identified by parents in this study could be harnessed and encouraged by employers and policymakers to promote positive wellbeing during times of stress throughout the pandemic and beyond.
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