Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39334605›Full record

ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2024

Long-Term Mandatory Homeschooling during COVID-19 Had Compounding Mental Health Effects on Parents and Children.

Lucretia V M Groff, Mariam M Elgendi, Sherry H Stewart, Storm Hélène Deacon

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

4 authors.

Lucretia V M GroffDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
Mariam M ElgendiDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9827-8873
Sherry H StewartDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
Storm Hélène DeaconDepartment of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.

Funding

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada #1008-2020-0220
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesMost studies have linked mandatory homeschooling during COVID-19 to mental health harm in parents and children, while a minority have found non-significant or beneficial effects. Past studies have not measured mandatory homeschooling continuously over an extended period; consequently, they could not capture compounding mental health effects, which may explain conflicting results. We asked whether children's cumulative time spent homeschooled during COVID-19 school closure mandates caused compounding harm for parent and child mental health, and whether parent employment, child internet access and educational support from schools (live and pre-recorded online classes, home learning packs) impacted this relationship. We aimed to identify the families at greatest risk of mental health harm during mandatory homeschooling and the educational support that may have mitigated this risk.

methodsCouples completed retrospective, cross-sectional survey questionnaires assessing parent depression, anxiety and stress, child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and the family's homeschooling experience. Data were analyzed using mediation analysis total effects, ordinary least squares regression and simple slopes analysis.

resultsBoth parents and children experienced compounding mental health harm during mandatory homeschooling. Live online classes protected parents and children, while home learning packs protected children. Unexpectedly, reliable internet access and the employment of both parents placed children at greater risk.

conclusionsFindings suggest that long-term mandatory homeschooling during COVID-19 placed families at greater risk of mental health harm. To protect family mental health during homeschooling mandates, schools should provide children with evidence-based educational support.

Indexed as

child mental healthCOVID-19homeschoolingparent mental health

Identifiers

PMID39334605
PMCPMC11429572

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.