Symposia
Parenting / Families
Angela Moreland, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Caitlin Rancher, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Medical University of South Carolina
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Grace Hubel, PhD
Associate Professor
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Caroline Shanholtz, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Angela Moreland, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the well-being of billions of preschool children and their families, as most schools and childcare facilities were physically closed, parent employment was disrupted, and 500,000 COVID-19 related deaths occurred. Change in social isolation, education, childcare, economic hardship, and illness are sources of extreme stress for families with unknown effects on parenting behaviors and child well-being. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately affected marginalized groups of preschool children and their families. This study investigates the associations between COVID-19 related stressors and family functioning among a sample of low-income caregivers and their preschool children.
Methods: Participants were 42 caregivers recruited from a Head Start preschool program. Participants were recruited via an email message that was sent out to all caregivers who were enrolled in the Head Start preschool program district. Surveys were completed between September and October 2020.
Results: Only 14% of caregivers in the present study reported experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, 5% had received a COVID-19 diagnosis, and 60% had a family member diagnosed with COVID-19. Most caregivers reported they had consistent employment during the COVID-19 pandemic (69%), while 31% reported losing their job. Caregivers reported moderate levels of resource losses (M = 14.46, SD = 5.99, possible range 5 to 25). The results of the regression analyses indicated that higher levels of parenting stress were associated with higher levels of child behavior problems, b = 0.53, t(35) = 2.07, p = 0.047, sr2 = 0.12, even after accounting for resource loss, b = 0.37, t(35) = 2.78, p = .009, sr2 = 0.20, and caregiver COVID-19 diagnosis, b = 4.79, t(35) = 1.86, p = 0.072, sr2 = 0.10. Caregiver psychological distress was not associated with child behavior problems, b = 0.36, t(35) = 1.97, p = .057, sr2 = 0.11. The full model accounted for 77% of the variance in child behavior problems, F (4, 35) = 26.51, p < 0.001, R2 =0.77.
Conclusions: Results suggest that low-income families are experiencing a range of COVID-19 related stressors which are related to parenting stress, caregiver psychological distress, and child behavior problems. The study also points to the importance of addressing parenting stress to help manage children’s behavior problems, even in the context of a major community-wide stressful event. We will discuss ways providers should be thoughtful about addressing the complex issues of parents in the context of COVID-19.