Citation

Hart J, Han WJ. J. Soc. Social Work Res. 2021; 12(2): 283-302.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Society for Social Work and Research, Publisher University of Chicago Press)

DOI

10.1086/711613

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The public health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have significant implications for parental mental health throughout the United States, especially when considering preexisting economic and mental health disparities. We examined the association between COVID-19 experiences and parental mental distress.

METHOD: In May 2020, we collected data cross-sectionally from 1,000 parents with at least one child age 17 or younger in the United States. Using a residualized change model, we examined the extent to which COVID-19-related experiences were linked with parental mental distress, controlling for a wide range of sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS: Our multivariate regression analysis confirms adverse associations between certain COVID-19 experiences and parental mental distress. Specifically, economic hardship, anxiety, loneliness, stigma, and increased alcohol or substance use due to COVID-19 were significantly associated with worse parental mental health.

CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis highlights how economic hardships might exacerbate the effects of COVID-19-related experiences on parental mental health.

Language: en

Keywords

COVID-19; economic hardship; mental health; parental work