Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37580094›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2023

Depression, parenting and the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: results from three nationally representative cross-sectional surveys.

Margot Shields, Lil Tonmyr, Andrea Gonzalez, Leslie Atkinson, Dawn-Li Blair, Wendy Hovdestad, Harriet MacMillan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 16% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Margot ShieldsPublic Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Lil TonmyrPublic Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada lil.tonmyr@phac-aspc.gc.ca.ORCID 0000-0002-8722-7616
Andrea GonzalezDepartment of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-0087-830X
Leslie AtkinsonDepartment of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Dawn-Li BlairPublic Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-2382-0880
Wendy HovdestadPublic Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Harriet MacMillanDepartments of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, and of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Public Health Agency of Canada · CAMcMaster University · CAToronto Metropolitan University · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesDepression is associated with problems in functioning in many aspects of life, including parenting. COVID-19 has increased risk factors for depression. We investigated the prevalence of depression among parents during the pandemic and the association with dysfunctional parenting.

designCanadian nationwide cross-sectional study. SETTING AND

participantsThe 2020 and 2021 Surveys on COVID-19 and Mental Health (SCMH) and the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) (2015‒2019). Responding sample sizes for parents were 3121 for the 2020-SCMH; 1574 for the 2021-SCMH and 6076 for the CCHS. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: All three surveys collected information on symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). The SCMH measured harsh parenting.

resultsBased on data from the 2021-SCMH collected during wave 3 of COVID-19, 14.4% of fathers and 21.2% of mothers screened positive for MDD. These prevalence estimates were similar to those from the 2020-SCMH during wave 2, but at least two times higher than pre-COVID-19 estimates from the CCHS. Multivariate analyses revealed a linear association between MDD and harsh parenting. COVID-19-related stressors were associated with harsh parenting. Among mothers, feeling lonely or isolated because of COVID-19 was a risk factor for harsh parenting; among fathers, being a front-line worker was a risk factor. Meditation was a protective factor for mothers.

conclusionsAfter years of stability, the prevalence of MDD increased substantially among Canadian parents during the pandemic. Ongoing monitoring is vital to determine if elevated levels of depression persist because chronic depression increases the likelihood of negative child outcomes. Programmes aimed at addressing depression and bolstering parenting skills are needed as families continue to face stressors associated with COVID-19.

Indexed as

COVID-19Major Depressive DisorderCanadaChildCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFemaleHumansPandemicsParentingAdult psychiatryChild protectionCOVID-19EPIDEMIOLOGYMENTAL HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID37580094
PMCPMC10432656
OpenAlexW4385813959

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.