Does the COVID-19 pandemic impact parents' and adolescents' well-being? An EMA-study on daily affect and parenting

Emotional Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Nursing Students Receiving Distance Learning: An Explorative Study

Social restrictions have a significant impact on higher education, especially on nursing students. The main goal of our study was to assess the emotional state of nursing students who received e-learning during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary objective was instead to measure the usability and acceptability of distance learning systems. A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year undergraduate nursing students attending the University of Messina, Italy, using an anonymous online questionnaire. The data of 522 nursing students were examined. All participants completed the online questionnaire, declaring the good usability of e-learning education (SUS mean 68.53 ds: 16.76). Moreover, we found that high levels of satisfaction in the use of the means of distance learning (based on the SUS score) were positively correlated with low levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and mental distress. In conclusion, the present study provided relevant information on usability and mental distress related to e-learning and use in a sample of nursing students. It was found that students generally found this method to be good for use. Although e-learning can be a valuable and usable teaching tool, the study suggests that students prefer a blended or presence modality, based on their perception of learning. So teaching nursing students in the future could integrate the two ways to enhance learning. Further studies are needed to evaluate this aspect.

Self-Regulation as a Protective Factor for Diabetes Distress and Adherence in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

The COVID-19 pandemic increased economic, social, and health stressors for families, yet its impacts on families of youth with chronic conditions, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), are not well understood. Self-regulation (SR)-or the capacities to control emotions, cognition, and behavior in response to challenge-is known to support T1D management and coping in the face of stress. Strong SR may have protected youth with T1D from the impacts of pandemic-related stressors. This study compared youth and parent emotional functioning and T1D management before and after the pandemic's onset in relation to family pandemic-related stress and youth SR.

METHODS

Parents of youth with T1D (N = 88) and a subset of these youth (N = 43; Mean age 15.3 years [SD 2.2]) completed surveys regarding SR, stress, emotional functioning, and T1D-related functioning prior to and after March 2020. Outcomes were compared using mixed effects models adjusting for covariates. Family pandemic-related stress experiences and youth SR were tested as moderators of change.

RESULTS

Parents' responsibility for T1D management increased across pandemic onset and their diabetes-related distress decreased. Family pandemic-related stress was associated with decreased emotional functioning over time. Youth SR, particularly emotional and behavioral aspects, predicted better emotional and T1D-related functioning.

DISCUSSION

While youth with T1D whose families experienced higher pandemic-related stress had poorer adjustment, strong emotional and behavioral SR appeared to protect against worsening youth mood and adherence across pandemic onset. Both social-contextual and individual factors are important to consider when working with families managing T1D.

Parenting practices, stressors and parental concerns during COVID-19 in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 is a global crisis that has added fear, uncertainty, and stress to parents. Parents are going through several challenges related to school closure, financial insecurity and working remotely. These stressors are affecting the mental health of parents.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to observe major stressors along with the impact of COVID-19 on parental concerns and practices during lockdown.

PARTICIPANTS

Sample (N = 923) was selected through purposive sampling from parents attending Out Patients Departments of hospitals in three provincial capital cities of Pakistan having a high burden of COVID-19, i.e. Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. Parents having at least one child younger than 18 years were included in the study.

METHODS

A quantitative design was used using a COVID-19 Parenting Response Scale (α = 0.74). It was used as a self-administered tool for parents who knew how to read and write Urdu/English language, however it was conducted as a structured interview for those who could not read/write. Data was analyzed by applying descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, percentage), independent sample t-test and Pearson Product Moment Correlation.

RESULTS

Findings of the current study showed several stressful factors for parents during COVID-19 pandemic, mainly financial burden, children's education, uncertainty of the situation, and many others. The study also suggests an association of parental concerns during COVID-19 with parenting practices.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 pandemic presents a global crisis not only of the health of the people but also on family relations and mental well-being. Findings of this research indicate the need for targeted and accessible interventions for mental health of parents especially during these challenging circumstances so that they can cope with the challenges in an effective way and be able to take care of their children better.

Mothers' Domestic Responsibilities and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Moderating Role of Gender Essentialist Beliefs About Parenthood

The present work investigates how the increased domestic responsibilities created by the Spring 2020 lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway and gender ideologies relate to the well-being of mothers with elementary school children. In June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional online study including current and retrospective measures with 180 mothers (M age = 39.96 years, SD = 6.11) of elementary school children across Norway. First, in line with earlier research on the strain of the pandemic on parents, and especially mothers, we found that Norwegian mothers' well-being during the lockdown significantly declined compared to before the lockdown (both measured retrospectively). Furthermore, mothers' well-being after the Spring 2020 lockdown did not immediately return to pre-lockdown levels. Finally, we predicted that gender ideologies (i.e., essentialist beliefs about parenthood) would exacerbate the negative impact of increased domestic responsibilities (i.e., childcare and housework) on mothers' well-being (i.e., higher standard-higher stress hypothesis). As predicted, for mothers who more strongly endorsed the belief that mothers are instinctively and innately better caretakers than fathers, perceptions of increased domestic responsibilities were associated with lower well-being post-lockdown. These findings point to the specific challenges mothers face in times of crisis, and the importance of addressing and confronting seemingly benevolent ideologies about motherhood that place additional burdens on women.

Effects of Socioeconomic Status, Parental Stress, and Family Support on Children's Physical and Emotional Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the current study, we conduct an exploratory study on children's emotional and physical health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The direct and interactive effects of parental stress, family socioeconomic status (SES), and family support on child adjustment were investigated. A total of 116 children of varied socioeconomic and their parents were interviewed. Parents with low household income perceived greater distress related to uncertainty and health worries compared to those with higher household income. However, it was among high-SES families that parental distress was associated with child difficulties. At a multivariate level, children's health was associated with SES, family support, and parental COVID-19 stress. Among families with low household income, when parents perceived low/average COVID-19 stress, family support worked as a protective factor for children's adjustment. Understanding how COVID-19 relates with children's emotional and physical health within families with low and high household income may help to inform recommendations for best practices, for example through family support interventions.

Impact of COVID-19-related Stress on Preschool Children's Internalizing and Externalizing Problem Behaviors: The Indirect Effect of Mother's Depression and Parenting Behavior

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting families and children worldwide. Experiencing the pandemic leads to stress in families resulting from fear of infection and social isolation derived from social distancing. For families raising preschoolers, the prolonged closure of childcare centers puts additional childcare burden on family members, especially mothers. Due to the limited research exploring the impact of COVID-19 on preschool children's problem behaviors, this study examines the association between stress due to COVID-19 and preschool children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors related to mother's depression and parenting behavior. The study sample included data collected from 316 South Korean mothers raising preschool-aged children aged 3 to 5. The study findings suggest that mother's COVID-19 stress was indirectly associated with preschool children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors resulting from the mother's depression and parenting behaviors, although the direct effect of COVID-19 stress on preschool children's outcomes was not statistically significant. Increase in mother's COVID-19 stress was associated with increase in depression, and sequentially decreased positive parenting behaviors, which in turn resulted in preschool children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors. The study findings highlight the need to focus on enhancing mental health of mothers and preschool children's adjustment by implementing supportive interventions to reduce the adverse impacts of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Adolescents' mental health and maladaptive behaviors before the Covid-19 pandemic and 1-year after: analysis of trajectories over time and associated factors

BACKGROUND

Adolescents have been deeply exposed to negative consequences of social distancing imposed by Covid-19. There is a lack of longitudinal studies regarding the impact on adolescents of this unfavorable condition, and their results are controversial. The aim of the present prospective study is to assess psychopathological symptoms in adolescent students over time and to evaluate what type of impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on adolescents. Moreover, the association between mental health indexes, potential risk and resilience factors is explored.

METHODS

Psychopathological symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, stress, emotional dysregulation, maladaptive behaviours), and potential risk and resilience factors (i.e., childhood trauma, emotional regulation skills, family function, personality traits) were assessed among a sample of 153 students (72% female; mean age 16.1 ± 0.49), living in a medium-size city in the north of Italy, at two time points: before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic (November 2019-January 2020) and 1 year later (April-May 2021).

RESULTS

After 1 year, we found an increase in mean scores on anxiety, stress for future uncertainty, and higher frequency of maladaptive behaviours. By contrast, the level of stress related to social domains (i.e., school attendance, romantic relationships, peer pressure) decreased. Dysfunctional emotional regulation skills, childhood trauma, low family functioning, and specific personality traits were associated to higher psychopathological symptoms. Cluster analysis detected three groups of youths based on their change over time in psychopathological symptoms: those who worsened (N = 23; 15%), improved (N = 55; 34%), or remained stable (N = 75; 46%). After controlling for baseline mental health status, those adolescents reporting increase in self-harm (OR = 2.61; p < 0.001), binge-drinking (OR = 3.0; p = 0.007), aggressiveness (OR 1.92; p = 0.004), and binge-eating (OR 2.55; p = 0.003) were more likely to present a worsened mental health condition.

CONCLUSION

The present results suggest that the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have had a different impact on subgroups of students. Indeed, we found a global worsening of psychological well-being only in a subgroup of adolescents, otherwise other students remained stable or improved. Increased frequency of maladaptive behaviors was found as a predictor of worsened mental health, therefore interventions to strengthen emotional regulation strategies are warranted. Finally, the decrease of stress in social domains could be due to reduction of potential triggering situations, thus indicating only a temporary beneficial effect that requires careful monitoring.

Differential impact of stay-at-home orders on mental health in adults who are homeschooling or "childless at home" in time of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the confinement of most populations worldwide, through stay-at-home orders. Children have continued their education process at home, supervised by parents, who, in most cases, have adopted the role of prime drivers of their learning processes. In this study, the psychological impact of confinement was explored, as well as the relationship of the forced homeschooling situation with psychological well-being. During their confinement, 400 individuals residing in Spain-165 without children at home (Group 1), 104 parents who dedicated little time to homeschooling (Group 2), and 131 who dedicated more time to homeschooling (Group 3)-responded to an online questionnaire. The results show that confinement threatened the mental health of all the participants but especially Group 3 individuals, who had the highest loneliness, anxiety, and stress levels. Moreover, loneliness, perception of discomfort due to homeschooling, and anxiety exacerbated the stress experienced during confinement. Discomfort due to the homeschooling situation was especially relevant in explaining anxiety and stress for Group 3 individuals. These results suggest that forced homeschooling could be associated with the negative consequences that confinement has on individuals' mental health. Moreover, the results suggest that parents who dedicate more time to homeschooling feel more unprotected and more stressed due to the homeschooling in comparison to Group 2 individuals. Health professionals must pay special attention to parents who dedicate more time to homeschooling, and governments and schools must emphasize social support provision to families during homeschooling situations.

Social support among persons with depressive disorders during COVID-19 pandemic

Context

The extent of depressive disorders is wide in the Indian population as reported by epidemiological studies, warranting a necessary area of intervention to cover the rampant treatment gap. Social support is known to vary as per the community-level changes, which may be attributed to events kickstarted by COVID-19.

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the social support among persons with depressive disorders.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 75 individuals of age ranging from 18 to 46 years from multi-ethnic communities across India. We used the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.

Results

This sample had a mean age of 32 years (SD: 7.88 years), and recurrent depressive disorder was the larger prevalent psychopathology diagnosed during their routine clinical consultation in the hospital (69.3%). The majority of the respondents experienced moderate depression (n = 42), followed by mild depression (n = 14) and severe depression (n = 5). Social support and resilience were found to be mildly correlated with each other for persons with mild depression (r = 0.620; P = 0.018).

Conclusion

Persons with mild depressive features may benefit from low-cost and community-based interventions directed to enhance social support and thus impact resilience. Psychosocial interventions must address the impact of moderate depression and recurrent depressive disorder and include social support at all spousal, family, and societal levels.

The voices of parents in child protective services: A qualitative analysis of families' struggles with COVID-19

The pandemic of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected children and families worldwide, disrupting their daily lives and well-being. A small-scale study involving 13 parents in Child Protective Services in Estonia was conducted using in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore parents' experiences with COVID-19 and its impact on their families' well-being. The findings indicated that one of the areas most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was schooling, as the implementation of remote schooling often created tensions and conflicts at home. Parents reported regression in daily functioning, attributing this to the lack of supportive services during lockdown and additional distress resulting from increased workload at home and problems with balancing home and work life. Parents were exhausted by the various problems caused by the pandemic and questioned their ability to provide their children the support they needed. Discontinuation of services intensified existing challenges for both parents and children. Furthermore, a lack of trust in Child Protective Services was identified, serving as a barrier to asking for help in times of crisis.

The Influence of Faith and Religion on Family Interactions and Interest in Health Issues during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Study among Polish Adolescents

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has dominated health, economic, and geopolitical issues for many months, but it also has great influence on individuals and families. The aim of this study was to verify whether the pandemic of COVID-19 changed religious practices and how religiosity moderated the influence of the pandemic on family interactions and attitudes towards health issues in adolescents.

METHODS

The study groups included 561 adolescent high school students (314 females and 247 males) from two kinds of high schools: public and Catholic.

RESULTS

Most Catholic school students have not changed their religious practices during the pandemic or just changed the form of attendance to TV or internet (59.7%). Moreover, 8.6% of them stopped the practices, in comparison with 12.9% of public school students, most of whom had not attended a mass before and during the pandemic. The results showed that in adolescents' opinions the pandemic caused family relations to be stronger, however this effect was modified by religiosity.

CONCLUSION

Attending Catholic school and being a practicing believer influenced some aspects of faith and family relations during the pandemic, but in most aspects, they did not influence attitudes toward health issues. The results of the study highlight the need to secure, especially for non-believing adolescents, family support during the pandemic, while in believers faith may provide such support.

Early Adolescents' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Changes in Their Well-Being

Background

Early adolescence is a time of psychological and social change that can coincide with declines in mental health and well-being. This study investigated the psychological and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of students who responded to a survey in Grades 7 and 8 (ages 12–14) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The objectives of this study were (i) to provide an overview on early adolescents' experiences and social-emotional well-being during the pandemic; and (ii) to examine whether changes in social experiences as well as feeling safe from getting COVID-19 at school were associated with changes in well-being outcomes over the course of a year.

Methods

A sample of n = 1,755 students from a large public school district self-reported on their life satisfaction, optimism, and symptoms of sadness across two time points: First, in their Grade 7 year (pre-pandemic; January to March, 2020) and then 1 year later in their Grade 8 year (during the pandemic; January to March, 2021). In Grade 8, students also reported on pandemic-specific experiences, including changes in mental health, social relationships, and activities, as well as coping strategies and positive changes since the pandemic. Data were collected online using the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), a population-based self-report tool that assesses children's social-emotional development and well-being in the context of their home, school, and neighborhood. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between pandemic-related changes in relationships and perceived safety from getting COVID-19 at school with changes in well-being outcomes.

Results

Students reported a range of experiences, with a large proportion reporting moderate concerns and impacts of the pandemic, including worries about their mental health and missing school activities. Students reported significantly lower optimism, lower life satisfaction, and higher sadness compared to the previous year. Within the sample, improvements in relationships with parents and other adults at home was associated with higher well-being during the pandemic.

Implications

Results from this study can inform decision making of policy-makers, educators, and practitioners working with youth, by providing information on students' experiences during the pandemic and identifying factors that may be protective for students' mental health during and beyond the pandemic.

Elementary School Students' Subjective Well-Being Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

First empirical results indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on adolescents' and adults' subjective well-being. In the present study we focus on the subjective well-being of elementary school children before and after the first pandemic-related school lockdown and examine if possible declines in subjective well-being are especially pronounced for some groups, considering socio-economic status, migration background, and gender as moderators. We tested N = 425 elementary school students (mean age: M = 8.19; SD = 1.04) longitudinally with four measurement points (three before the school lockdown and one after) regarding their general life satisfaction, mood, and domain satisfaction regarding peers, family, and school. Piecewise growth curve models revealed a significant decline in positive mood and in satisfaction with the family. Decline in life satisfaction and satisfaction with peers nearly missed significance. The investigated moderators had no impact on the changes in subjective well-being. We conclude that the pandemic had detrimental effects on young children's subjective well-being.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-022-00537-y.

Age-Related Differences in Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic

While the negative impact of COVID-19 total lockdown on mental health in youth has been extensively studied, findings collected during subsequent waves of the pandemic, in which restrictive rules were more eased, are very sparse. Here, we explore perceived psychological distress during the partial lockdown of the third wave in Southern Italy in a large sample of students, focusing on age and gender differences. Also, we assessed whether attending the type of education could have a protective role on students' psychological well-being. An online survey was completed by 1064 southern Italian students (age range: 8-19 years; males = 368) from March to July 2021. The survey consists of a set of questions regarding general sociodemographic information as well as several aspects of students' psychological well-being. Psychological distress was higher in high school students compared to both elementary and middle ones. In addition, we found gender differences, but only in high school students, with females reporting higher psychological distress than males. Finally, our mediation analysis showed a mediated role of face-to-face schooling in the relationship between age and psychological distress. In conclusion, this study highlights age-related differences in psychological distress during the pandemic and the protective role of school in presence for mental health in Italian students.

Review: Mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and youth - a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented threat to global mental health. Children and adolescents may be more susceptible to mental health impacts related to their vulnerable developmental stage, fear of infection, home confinement, suspension of regular school and extracurricular activities, physical distancing mandates, and larger scale threats such as global financial recessions and associated impacts. Our objective was to review existing evidence of the COVID-19 pandemic's global impact on the mental health of children and adolescents <19 years of age and to identify personal and contextual factors that may enhance risk or confer protection in relation to mental health outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a search of peer-reviewed and preprint research published in English from January 1, 2020, to February 22, 2021. We included studies collecting primary data on COVID-19-related mental health impacts on children and adolescents. We graded the strength of included articles using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine rating scheme.

RESULTS

Our search and review yielded 116 articles presenting data on a total of 127,923 children and adolescents; 50,984 child and adolescent proxy reports (e.g., parents, healthcare practitioners); and >3,000 chart reviews. A high prevalence of COVID-19-related fear was noted among children and adolescents, as well as more depressive and anxious symptoms compared with prepandemic estimates. Older adolescents, girls, and children and adolescents living with neurodiversities and/or chronic physical conditions were more likely to experience negative mental health outcomes. Many studies reported mental health deterioration among children and adolescents due to COVID-19 pandemic control measures. Physical exercise, access to entertainment, positive familial relationships, and social support were associated with better mental health outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlights the urgent need for practitioners and policymakers to attend to and collaborate with children and adolescents, especially those in higher risk subgroups, to mitigate short- and long-term pandemic-associated mental health effects.

Video conferencing during emergency distance learning impacted student emotions during COVID-19

Research during the pandemic has demonstrated that the rapid shift to emergency distance learning has impacted students' emotions. What explains this link remains a sparsely explored question. Because many students report negative experiences while video conferencing during emergency distance learning, one avenue that has yet to be explored is whether students' attitudes towards video conferencing may explain the link between video conferencing and students’ emotions. As such, to explore this question, a total of 558 college students and 219 parents or guardians of K-12 students completed a survey about their video conferencing attitudes while emergency distance learning and their positive and negative emotions while video conferencing during emergency distance learning. Across both samples, even after controlling for student learning and teacher evaluations, when students held the attitude that video conferencing during emergency distance learning felt like a forced interaction, students reported greater negative emotions. Because instructors can use the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to improve distance learning in the future, video conferencing attitudes that are most strongly related to negative emotions should continue to be explored.

"Did You Bring It Home with You?" A Qualitative Investigation of the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Victorian Frontline Healthcare Workers and Their Families

Concerns regarding the physical and mental health impacts of frontline healthcare roles during the COVID-19 pandemic have been well documented, but the impacts on family functioning remain unclear. This study provides a unique contribution to the literature by considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare workers and their families. Thirty-nine frontline healthcare workers from Victoria, Australia, who were parents to at least one child under 18 were interviewed. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Five superordinate and 14 subordinate themes were identified. Themes included more family time during lockdowns, but at a cost; changes in family responsibilities and routines; managing increased demands; healthcare workers hypervigilance and fear of bringing COVID-19 home to their family members; ways in which families worked to “get through it”. While efforts have been made by many healthcare organisations to support their workers during this challenging time, the changes in family functioning observed by participants suggest that more could be done for this vulnerable cohort, particularly with respect to family support.

Parents of young infants report poor mental health and more insensitive parenting during the first Covid-19 lockdown

BACKGROUND

The Covid-19 pandemic has put an unprecedented pressure on families with children. How parents were affected by the first Covid-19 lockdown during the early postpartum period, an already challenging period for many, is unknown.

AIM

To investigate the associations between Covid-19 related stress, mental health, and insensitive parenting practices in mothers and fathers with young infants during the first Dutch Covid-19 lockdown.

METHODS

The Dutch Covid-19 and Perinatal Experiences (COPE-NL) study included 681 parents of infants between 0 and 6 months (572 mothers and 109 fathers). Parents filled out online questionnaires about Covid-19 related stress, mental health (i.e. anxiety and depressive symptoms), and insensitive parenting. Hierarchical regression models were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Parents of a young infant reported high rates of Covid-19 related stress, with higher reported stress in mothers compared to fathers. Additionally, the percentages of mothers and fathers experiencing clinically meaningful mental health symptoms during the pandemic were relatively high (mothers: 39.7% anxiety, 14.5% depression; fathers: 37.6% anxiety, 6.4% depression). More Covid-19 related stress was associated with more mental health symptoms in parents and increased insensitive parenting practices in mothers.

CONCLUSIONS

The results emphasize the strain of the pandemic on young fathers' and mothers' mental health and its potential negative consequences for parenting. As poor parental mental health and insensitive parenting practices carry risk for worse child outcomes across the lifespan, the mental health burden of the Covid-19 pandemic might not only have affected the parents, but also the next generation.

Hope and Self-Compassion to Alleviate Parenting Stress in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

As the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted all aspects of life, parents have been subjected to more household and caregiving responsibilities and stressors. The purpose of this study is to investigate how hope, self-compassion, and perception of COVID-19 health risks influence parenting stress. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 362 parents living in the United States completed an online survey in July 2020. Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher levels of hope are related to lower levels of parenting stress. On the other hand, lower levels of self-compassion as indicated by higher scores on the subscales of isolation, self-judgment, and overidentification are related to higher levels of parenting stress. Further, testing positive for the coronavirus is positively related to parenting stress, whereas the belief that COVID-19 is a serious disease is negatively related to parenting stress. Findings also revealed the significant role of hope in moderating the relation between self-compassion and parenting stress. This study highlights the importance of nurturing and drawing from one's own psychological resources to mitigate parenting stress, particularly in the context of a chronic source of stress like a pandemic. Implications for the counseling profession are discussed.

Adolescents' affective and neural responses to parental praise and criticism

Social feedback from parents has a profound impact on the development of a child's self-concept. Yet, little is known about adolescents' affective and neural responses to parental social feedback, such as criticism or praise. Adolescents (n = 63) received standardized social feedback supposedly provided by their mother or father in the form of appraisals about their personality (e.g., 'respectful', 'lazy') during fMRI scanning. After each feedback word, adolescents reported their mood. Additionally, adolescents had rated whether feedback words matched their self-views on an earlier occasion. In line with preregistered hypotheses, negative parental feedback worsened adolescents' mood, which was exacerbated when feedback did not match adolescents' self-views. Negative feedback was associated with increased activity in the neural 'saliency network', including anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Positive feedback improved mood and increased activity in brain regions supporting social cognition, including temporoparietal junction, posterior superior temporal sulcus, and precuneus. A more positive general self-view and perceived parental warmth were associated with elevated mood, independent of feedback valence, but did not impact neural responses. Taken together, these results enhance our understanding of adolescents' neural circuitry involved in the processing of parental praise and criticism, and the impact of parental feedback on well-being.

Strength‐based parenting and stress‐related growth in adolescents: Exploring the role of positive reappraisal, school belonging, and emotional processing during the pandemic

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Storm Clouds and Silver Linings: Day-to-Day Life in COVID-19 Lockdown and Emotional Health in Adolescent Girls

OBJECTIVE

We examined risk and protective factors for emotional health problems in adolescent girls during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated pre- to early-pandemic changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression, documented daily activities and perceived positive and negative impacts of the pandemic, and linked perceived positive and negative impacts of the pandemic to real-time changes in emotional health.

METHODS

The study was a 10-day daily diary study with 93 U.S. adolescent girls (aged 12-17; 68% White non-Hispanic) at temperamental risk for anxiety and depression, conducted in April/May 2020 when all participants were under state-issued stay-at-home orders. Girls provided daily reports of positive and negative affect, depressive and anxious symptoms, activities, and positive and negative impacts resulting from the pandemic.

RESULTS

Girls reported engaging in many activities that may contribute to well-being. Mixed effects analyses revealed positive impacts associated with improved same-day emotional health such as more time for family and relaxation and reduced pressure from school/activities. Negative impacts associated with poorer same-day emotional health included problems with online schooling, lack of space/privacy, lack of a regular schedule, and family conflict.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the importance of providing in-person or quality online schooling, resources and space for learning, promoting daily routines, and spending time with teens while reducing family conflict. The pandemic also appears to have offered many girls a respite from the chronic stress of modern teen life, with time to relax and engage in creative and healthy pursuits showing benefits for daily emotional health, which should be considered following the return to normal life.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020

In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a large body of research has identified a negative impact on individuals' affectivity, frequently documented by increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. For children, this research was less extensive, was mainly based on caregivers' reports and neglected personality assessment. In order to measure the impact of the pandemic, and the fears it caused, on primary school children's affect and personality, 323 (180 boys and 143 girls) Italian third, fourth and fifth graders were assessed between October and November 2020, namely during the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Italy, with validated self-reports of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children, PANAS-C), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale, FCV-19S) and personality (junior Temperament and Character Inventory, jTCI). In comparison with PANAS-C and jTCI normative scores collected prior to the pandemic, data obtained from children in 2020 showed unchanged affect scores in the overall sample, a decrease of Positive Affect in girls, and a decrease in the Harm Avoidance and an increase in the Self-Transcendence scales of personality. Fear of COVID-19 scores were positively correlated with Negative Affect scores and negatively predicted by children's personality profile of resilience (calculated using scores on the Harm Avoidance and the Self-Directedness scales of personality). These results suggested that Italian primary school children, especially boys, maintained their pre-pandemic levels of affect (or restored them after the first COVID-19 wave) and partially diverged from the typical development of personality in an apparently positive sense, namely toward more courageous/optimistic and spiritual profiles. This sort of children's post-traumatic growth might also be attributed to children's family and education systems, which should continue to be supported to promote and maintain community mental health.

Academic performance under COVID-19: The role of online learning readiness and emotional competence

The COVID-19 pandemic caused school closures and social isolation, which created both learning and emotional challenges for adolescents. Schools worked hard to move classes online, but less attention was paid to whether students were cognitively and emotionally ready to learn effectively in a virtual environment. This study focused on online learning readiness and emotional competence as key constructs to investigate their implications for students' academic performance during the COVID-19 period. Two groups of students participated in this study, with 1,316 high school students (Mean age = 16.32, SD = 0.63) representing adolescents and 668 college students (Mean age = 20.20, SD = 1.43) representing young adults. Structural equation modeling was conducted to explore the associations among online learning readiness, emotional competence, and online academic performance during COVID-19 after controlling for pre-COVID-19 academic performance. The results showed that, for high school students, both online learning readiness and emotional competence were positively associated with online academic performance during COVID-19. However, for college students, only online learning readiness showed a significant positive relationship with online academic performance during COVID-19. These results demonstrated that being ready to study online and having high emotional competence could make adolescents more resilient toward COVID-19-related challenges and help them learn more effectively online. This study also highlighted different patterns of associations among cognitive factors, emotional factors, and online academic performance during COVID-19 in adolescence and young adulthood. Developmental implications were also discussed.

Changes in Youth Mental Health, Psychological Wellbeing, and Substance Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers around the world have made efforts to assess its impact on youth mental health; however, the breadth of this topic has impeded a clear assessment of pandemic outcomes. This study aimed to address this gap by reviewing changes in youth (age ≤ 25) mental health, psychological wellbeing, substance use, and the use or delivery of relevant services during the pandemic. PubMed and Embase were searched in May 2021 to conduct a rapid review of the literature. The results encompass 156 primary publications and are reported using a narrative synthesis. Studies of mental health (n = 122) and psychological wellbeing (n = 28) generally indicated poor outcomes in many settings. Publications regarding substance use (n = 41) noted overall declines or unchanged patterns. Studies of service delivery (n = 12) indicated a generally positive reception for helplines and telehealth, although some youth experienced difficulties accessing services. The findings indicate negative impacts of the pandemic on youth mental health, with mixed results for substance use. Services must support marginalized youth who lack access to telehealth.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40894-022-00185-6.

Parent and Adolescent Perspectives on the Impact of COVID on the Care of Seriously Ill Children

CONTEXT

Few studies have explored the impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) on the care of seriously ill children which may be especially affected due to the child's vulnerability, complexity of care, and high reliance on hospital-based care.

OBJECTIVE

To explore parental and adolescent perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on care of seriously children.

METHODS

We recruited a convenience sample of families of seriously ill children between September and December 2020. The study involved a semi-structured interview through Zoom followed by an online sociodemographic survey. Interviews were transcribed and coded using the constant comparison method. The sample intended to represent diversity in child age and diagnoses, and family sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Sixty-four families were approached; 29 enrolled (response rate 45%), including 30 parents and three AYAs. Most parents and AYAs identified as white (62%). Some families reported new financial hardships, with 17.2% having difficulty paying bills after March 2020 compared to 6.9% before. Emerging themes from interviews included additional roles parents managed due to cancelled services or shifting to telehealth, increased isolation, high emotional distress due increased in-home demands, uncertainty, and visitor restrictions in medical facilities, and benefits and challenges to telehealth. One positive outcome was the use of a hybrid care model whereby families choose telehealth appointments and in-person services, when necessary.

CONCLUSION

Families caring for seriously ill children during COVID-19 face increased challenges. Health systems should consider long-term telehealth/in-person hybrid care models that have potential to improve access to and satisfaction with care.

Exploring mental health stigma among chinese-english bilinguals: Dual-process model of emotional competence, flipped learning readiness, and academic performance in Mainland Chinese Universities

Due to severe global competition and performance-related academic challenges, Chinese students are compelled to learn English and become bilinguals despite their non-English majors. Consequently, these students frequently experience psychological issues, including mental health stigma. Hence, the present study aims to explore the psychological factors associated with the academic performance of Chinese-English bilinguals as an outcome of their emotional competence, flipped learning readiness, and mental health stigma. Drawing on data from 448 Chinese-English bilingual students in universities in mainland China, the results based on structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that their academic performance, flipped learning readiness, and emotional competence are negatively influenced by their mental health stigma. Moreover, the findings also validate that both flipped learning readiness and emotional competence significantly mediate the indirect effects of mental health stigma on the academic performance of bilinguals. The study's implications offer new and compelling evidence on the primary issue of mental health stigma among Gen Z bilingual students to raise deterrence against this psychological menace through collaboration across policymakers, academics, and mental healthcare providers.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies comparing mental health before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

BACKGROUND

Increases in mental health problems have been observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives were to examine the extent to which mental health symptoms changed during the pandemic in 2020, whether changes were persistent or short lived, and if changes were symptom specific.

METHODS

Systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies examining changes in mental health among the same group of participants before vs. during the pandemic in 2020.

RESULTS

Sixty-five studies were included. Compared to pre-pandemic outbreak, there was an overall increase in mental health symptoms observed during March-April 2020 (SMC = .102 [95% CI: .026 to .192]) that significantly declined over time and became non-significant (May-July SMC = .067 [95% CI: -.022 to .157]. Compared to measures of anxiety (SMC = 0.13, p = 0.02) and general mental health (SMC = -.03, p = 0.65), increases in depression and mood disorder symptoms tended to be larger and remained significantly elevated in May-July [0.20, 95% CI: .099 to .302]. In primary analyses increases were most pronounced among samples with physical health conditions and there was no evidence of any change in symptoms among samples with a pre-existing mental health condition.

LIMITATIONS

There was a high degree of unexplained heterogeneity observed (I2s > 90%), indicating that change in mental health was highly variable across samples.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a small increase in mental health symptoms soon after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that decreased and was comparable to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2020 among most population sub-groups and symptom types.

The upside: coping and psychological resilience in Australian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, few studies have investigated the positive psychological consequences on young people. This study examined resilience, positive experiences, and coping strategies reported by Australian adolescents during COVID-19.

METHODS

Self-report surveys were administered online to a sample of 760 Australian adolescents aged 12-18 years. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to assess resilience, positive experiences, and coping strategies. Exploratory regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between resilience and demographics and mental illness history, as well as between resilience and positive experiences.

RESULTS

Overall, adolescents were somewhat resilient (M = 20.93, SD = 8.29). They reported positive experiences during COVID-19, including increased empathy, compassion, gratitude, and connection with others, and reported using a range of active coping strategies. Having a mental illness history and identification as female or non-binary gender were associated with lower resilience (Bs > 2.82, ps < 0.001). Further, resilience was associated with decreased psychological distress (OR = 0.89, p < 0.001) and with increased positive experiences (ORs > 1.03, ps < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that Australian adolescents commonly reported positive experiences and used active coping strategies during COVID-19. Some young people demonstrated higher levels of resilience and were able to make the most out of an unpredictable situation that severely disrupted their daily routine. However, further prospective research using longitudinal methods is necessary to examine causal relationships between variables. An implication of our findings is that resilience-building programs for adolescents may be effective in increasing adaptability after adversity (e.g., climate change, bushfires, pandemics).

Mental Health Outcomes Among Parents of Children With a Chronic Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Parental Burn-Out

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated quarantine measures highly impacted parental psychological well-being. Parents of children with chronic diseases might be specifically vulnerable as they already face multiple challenges to provide adequate care for their child. The research questions of the current study were twofold: (a) to examine whether parents of children with a chronic disease experienced more anxiety and depression compared to parents of healthy children and (b) to examine a series of risk factors for worsened well-being (i.e., depression, anxiety, and sleep problems), such as sociodemographic variables, COVID-19-specific variables (i.e., financial worries, living space, and perceived quality of health care), and parental psychological experiences (i.e., parental burn-out and less positive parenting experiences).

Methods

Parents of children with a chronic disease (i.e., the clinical sample; N = 599 and 507 for Research Questions 1 and 2, respectively) and parents of healthy children (i.e., the reference sample: N = 417) filled out an online survey.

Results

Findings demonstrated that the parents in the clinical sample reported higher levels of anxiety than parents in the reference sample. Analyses within the clinical sample indicated that COVID-19-specific stressors and parental psychological experiences were associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. Mediation analyses furthermore indicated that the association of COVID-19-specific stressors with all outcome measures was mediated by parental burn-out.

Conclusions

Parents of children with a chronic disease constitute a vulnerable group for worse well-being during the current pandemic. Findings suggest interventions directly targeting parental burn-out are warranted.

"It's Very Stressful for Children": Elementary School-Aged Children's Psychological Wellbeing during COVID-19 in Canada

Emerging evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures, including lockdowns and school closures, have been negatively affecting school-aged children’s psychological wellbeing. To identify supports required to mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we gathered in-depth information on school-aged children’s and parents’ lived experiences of COVID-19 and perceptions of its impact on psychological wellbeing in grade 4–6 students in Canada. In this qualitative study, we conducted telephone-based semi-structured interviews with parents (n = 15) and their children (n = 16) from six schools in small and mid-sized northern prairie communities in Canada. Interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. Three interrelated themes have emerged. First, the start of COVID-19 brought sudden and stressful changes to children’s lives. Second, disruptions to daily life led to feelings of boredom and lack of purpose. Third, limited opportunities for social interaction led to loneliness and an increase in screen time to seek social connection with peers. Results underscore the need for resilience building and the promotion of positive coping strategies to help school-aged children thrive in the event of future health crises or natural disasters.

Levels of uncertainty, fear and satisfaction with health professionals: experiences of parents whose children are hospitalized for COVID-19

This study tried to determine the fear and tolerance of uncertainty levels of the parents of children hospitalized with COVID-19, and their satisfaction with the health care received during this time. Data were collected from 130 literate parents. A significant difference was found between the mean scores on the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12) and the age of the parents and the presence of COVID-19 in other family members and the IUS-12. Also, a significant correlation was found between parents' fear of COVID-19 and IUS-12 scores. Parents had good levels of satisfaction with health care received and moderate fear of COVID-19 and intolerance of uncertainty levels. As parents' fear of COVID-19 increased, intolerance of uncertainty increased. The demographic characteristics, levels of fear of COVID-19, and intolerance of uncertainty did not affect the satisfaction levels.

Parenting during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Portugal: Changes in Daily Routines, Co-Parenting Relationships, Emotional Experiences, and Support Networks

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged parental resources pertinent to coping with lockdowns. The main objective of this work was to study parenting during the COVID-19 lockdown. Specifically at focus were parental behaviors concerning key domains for the family (daily routine, co-parenting, emotional experience, and support network) and changes related to the pandemic and associated with the parents’ employment statuses. An online survey was carried out through an ad hoc questionnaire where participants completed questions about their sociodemographic data and rated how much their family routines, their co-parenting relationship, their emotional experiences, and the support available in the family network varied on a 5-point scale. The participants included 1384 parents, of which 286 responded to open questions regarding impactful experiences during the lockdown. The results showed differences in daily routine, co-parenting, emotional experience, and support network according to the parents’ employment statuses. Between-group comparisons showed that at-home parents caring for children with governmental aids generally revealed more positive parenting behavior changes, while at-home parents who were teleworking reported more difficulties in parent-child activities and co-parenting. Furthermore, the content analysis of the data confirmed how important themes such as family dynamics, professional activities, and the relationship with the school community were throughout the participants’ accounts of gains and losses. Overall, parents’ employment statuses are associated with diverse experiences during lockdown. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of family resources and parental resilience, particularly during circumstances jeopardizing the ever-sensitive work-family balance.

What about the Consequences of the Use of Distance Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Survey on the Psychological Effects in Both Children and Parents

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic implicated many social restrictions, including the use of distance learning (DL). Indeed, parents were obligated to support their children in online lessons and schoolwork. The aim of this study was to investigate the psycho-emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents and children submitted to DL. Methods: One hundred and ninety-two participants (96 parents and 96 children) were enrolled in this study. Parents and children completed an online questionnaire, structured in four sections. Results: The results showed that parents had higher levels of stress and anxiety. In particular, the stress for DL was positively correlated with depression and anxiety. Parents’ jobs were negatively correlated with their levels of anxiety and stress. On the other hand, children reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and event-related anxiety, which increased as children got older. The stress and the anxiety in parents were positively correlated with the mood depression and anxiety of their children. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the psychological well-being of children and parents who used DL. Although DL could be an alternative teaching method during pandemics, face-to-face teaching is fundamental and irreplaceable as it encourages dialogue, involvement, and human contact.

Daily Stress and Use of Aggressive Discipline by Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

To assess the relationship between stress throughout the day and aggressive discipline practices by parents during COVID-19 stay at home orders. For this study, participants took baseline survey online, then provided data three times a day (10 a.m., 3 p.m., and 9 p.m.) for 14 consecutive days using Ecological Momentary Assessment procedures. Data were collected from 323 participants, covering 9,357 observations from April 13 to May 27, 2020 in Central Ohio during stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19. Use of aggressive discipline, including corporal punishment and psychological aggression, was measured using the Dimensions of Discipline Inventory. For each higher level of stress, parents had 1.3 greater odds of using aggressive discipline. Having used aggressive discipline at baseline was related to three times greater odds of using it during the study period. Higher situational stress was associated with use of aggressive parenting. When combined with less contact with mandatory reporters, this places children at risk for abuse and neglect that may go without detection and intervention for longer time-periods. First responders and medical professionals become more important in identifying and reporting suspected child maltreatment, as this may be a child's only contact with a mandated professional for six months to a year. Well child visits, routine vaccinations, and problem-focused care are important opportunities to assess parents' stress and discipline practices that may be suggestive of abuse or neglect.

Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Mental Health in Canada: Findings from a Multi-Round Cross-Sectional Study

Pandemic-related disruptions, including school, child care, and workplace closures, financial stressors, and relationship challenges, present unique risks to families' mental health. We examined the mental health impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic among parents with children <18 years old living at home over three study rounds in May 2020 (n = 618), September 2020 (n = 804), and January 2021 (n = 602). Data were collected using a cross-sectional online survey of adults living in Canada, nationally representative by age, gender, household income, and region. Chi-square tests and logistic regression compared outcomes between parents and the rest of the sample, among parent subgroups, and over time. Parents reported worsened mental health compared with before the pandemic, as well as not coping well, increased alcohol use, increased suicidal thoughts/feelings, worsened mental health among their children, and increases in both negative and positive parent-child interactions. Mental health challenges were more frequently reported among parents with pre-existing mental health conditions, disabilities, and financial/relationship stressors. Increased alcohol use was more frequently reported among younger parents and men. Sustained mental health challenges of parents throughout nearly a year of the pandemic suggest that intervention efforts to support family mental health may not be adequately meeting families' needs. Addressing family stressors through financial benefit programs and virtual mental health supports should be further explored.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Families' Mental Health: The Role Played by Parenting Stress, Parents' Past Trauma, and Resilience

International research has evidenced the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families, and the key role played by parenting stress levels. Although significant associations with parents' past trauma and resilience have been shown, this study aimed to explore their complex interplay on the relationship between parents' peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19, parenting stress, and children's psychopathological difficulties. We recruited 353 parents with children aged two to 16 years via an online survey during the Italian second wave of COVID-19. Parents' peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19, parenting stress, past trauma and resilience, and children's psychological difficulties were assessed through self-report and report-form questionnaires. Parents' past traumas significantly predicted peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 and children's psychological difficulties. The relationship between past traumas and children's psychological difficulties was serial mediated by parents' peritraumatic distress and parenting stress. Direct and total effects of parent's resilience on parent's peritraumatic distress were not significant, but there were significant indirect effects via parenting stress and via parents' peritraumatic distress and parenting stress, indicating inconsistent mediation. This study evidenced the key risk and protective role played by, respectively, parents' past traumas exposure and resilience on the relationship between parents' psychological difficulties due to COVID-19, parenting stress, and children's psychological difficulties, with important clinical implications.

Who Is Watching the Children? A Quantitative Analysis of Strategies for Reconciling Work and Parenting during Lockdown in Northern Italy

(1) Background: In their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, most countries closed schools and kindergartens. To date, little is known about the strategies of working families reconciling work and parenting during repeated lockdown situations. (2) Methods: We performed a quantitative survey of working parents in Italy during a week of 'hard lockdown' in February/March 2021. (3) Results: 3725 voluntary adult participants from different households responded. Though officially not allowed, 53.4% of all participants sought help from people outside the nuclear family to bridge the situation, mostly the grandparents (79%; n = 1855). Overall, parental coping strategies included alternating working-childcare-turns with their partner (35%, n = 1316), working early in the morning or during nighttime (23%; n = 850), or leaving the children unattended (25%, n = 929). (4) Conclusions: The closure of schools/kindergartens forcefully shifts the responsibility for childcare onto the nuclear family, where new strategies arose, including health-damaging models of alternating work-childcare-shifts, 'illegal' involvement of third parties from outside the nuclear family, as well as neglect of age-related childcare. Our findings underline that working families need additional support strategies during repeated closure of childcare institutions to be able to reduce contact and minimize secondary damage.

'The Pandemic Affected My Life in a Negative Way': The Experiences of Estonian Children in Child Protective Services During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

This study investigates children's experiences concerning the effect of the containment measures associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on their daily lives. A small-scale study using in-depth, semi-structured interviews was conducted in Estonia with 10 children registered with Child Protective Services (CPS) as in need of assistance. The COVID-19 pandemic generally negatively affected the children, who struggled with e-schooling, social relationships and emotional well-being. Most of the children reported struggling with their emotional well-being, using words such as anxiety, tension, fear, sadness, and depressing. Not all of the children received the necessary support or assistance from the CPS. The children reported a few positive experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as attaining a more personalised method and schedule for studying and receiving parental support during e-schooling.

Comparing the impact of the first and second wave of COVID-19 lockdown on Slovak families with typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorder

LAY ABSTRACT

A global pandemic caused by a new coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) affected everyday lives of all people, including individuals with special needs, such as autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this research was to compare the mental health of families with children with autism spectrum disorder to families with typically developing children, and between the first and the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Slovakia. This mainly included symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress of parents and problem behavior or sleeping difficulties of their children. The research sample consisted of 332 parents (155 of which have children with autism spectrum disorder), 179 surveyed during the first wave and 153 during the second wave. Online parent questionnaire was created, including demographic and specific topic questions, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-42 questionnaire, and internalizing and externalizing maladaptive behavior subscales from Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Our results show that during the first wave, parents of autism spectrum disorder children suffered high levels of anxiety. During the second wave, both groups of parents suffered increased anxiety, stress, and depression, but especially severe for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Internalizing maladaptive behavior of autistic children grew significantly between the waves. Parental depression, anxiety, and stress were interconnected with maladaptive behavior of both autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children, suggesting the importance of the therapy options for whole families.

Late Adolescents' Attachment to Parents and Peers and Psychological Distress Resulting from COVID-19. A Study on the Mediation Role of Alexithymia

The scientific literature has shown the key role played by attachment to parents and peers and difficulties in recognizing, processing, and regulating emotions (i.e., alexithymia) in the (mal-)adaptive psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic during late adolescence. No study has yet explored the complex interplay between these variables. We recruited a sample of 454 late adolescents (Mage = 22.79, SD = 2.27) and assessed attachment to parents and peers, alexithymia, and peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19 through self-report instruments. Attachment to fathers and peers, but not to mothers, and alexithymia significantly predicted levels of peritraumatic distress. Alexithymia fully and partially mediated the effect of, respectively, attachment to mothers and attachment to peers on peritraumatic distress due to COVID-19. These findings suggested that intervention programs focused on the promotion of peer social relationships, supportive parent-adolescent relationships, and the ability to recognize and discriminate one's own and others' emotions are needed in helping late adolescents to face the current health emergency and preventing short- and long-term psychopathological consequences related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Measuring parent-adolescent interactions in natural habitats. The potential, status, and challenges of ecological momentary assessment

Few people are as important for an adolescent's development as their parents. However, most research on parent-adolescent relationships describes long-term population-wide effects. Therefore, little is known about everyday interactions between adolescents and parents in individual families. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) measures families several times a day as they go through daily life. This approach provides ecologically valid insights into which interactions took place and how they were experienced. State-of-the-art EMA studies suggest that within-family fluctuations in parenting may trigger changes in an adolescent's well-being and behaviors. In practice, moreover, EMA may strengthen family support and intervention research. This article reviews recent empirical work, highlights the (un)used theoretical and practical promise of EMA and identifies key-challenges to unlock this full potential.

Psychological well-being of ruminative adolescents during the transition to COVID-19 school closures: An EMA study

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents with moderate-to-severe levels of trait rumination are at heightened risk for psychopathology and may be particularly vulnerable to disruptions caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. As most past research documenting the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent well-being has been cross-sectional, it is unclear exactly how ruminative adolescents responded to the onset of the pandemic as it unfolded.

METHODS

We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to explore changes in rumination among adolescents during the initial transition to distance learning in the United States. A subsample of 22 ruminative youth (Mage = 13.58; SD = 0.96; 54.5% male; 86.4% White) from a larger study provided EMA data throughout January-April 2020 (M responses per participant = 105.09, SD = 65.59). Following school closures, we hypothesized that adolescents would report greater rumination (i.e., focusing on emotions and problems) and depressive symptom level would moderate this effect.

RESULTS

Surprisingly, rumination decreased, and this effect was moderated by depressive symptom level for emotion-focused rumination, i.e., those with average and below-average depressive symptoms experienced decreases in rumination.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the first wave of stay-at-home orders and the transition to distance learning were not immediately distressing to vulnerable adolescents. However, more research is needed to determine whether the results from recent research are generalizable to other adolescents and to examine the long-term impact of the pandemic on adolescent well-being.

Mental Health in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract. The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most serious health and economic crises of the 21st century. From a psychological point of view, the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences can be conceptualized as a multidimensional and potentially toxic stressor for mental health in the general population. This selective literature review provides an overview of longitudinal studies published until June 2021 that have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the European population. Risk and protective factors identified in the studies are summarized. Forty-two studies that met inclusion and search criteria ( COVID-19, mental health, longitudinal, and Europe) in PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases indicate differential effects of the pandemic on mental distress, depression, and anxiety, depending on samples and methods used. Age-specific (e.g., young age), social (e.g., female, ethnical minority, loneliness), as well as physical and mental health-related factors (e.g., pre-pandemic illness) were identified as risk factors for poor mental health. The studies point to several protective factors such as social support, higher cognitive ability, resilience, and self-efficacy. Increasing evidence supports the assumption of the pandemic being a multidimensional stressor on mental health, with some populations appearing more vulnerable than others, although inconsistencies arise. Whether the pandemic will lead to an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders is an open question. Further high-quality longitudinal and multi-national studies and meta-analyses are needed to draw the complete picture of the consequences of the pandemic on mental health.

COVID-19 Pandemic and the Second Lockdown: The 3rd Wave of the Disease Through the Voice of Youth

Around the beginning of the 2021 new year, Europe's COVID-19 third wave led many leaders to implement a new lockdown period, with the teaching-learning system returning to the online method once more. The present study aimed to understand the health consequences for adolescents and young adults (AYA) during the third wave's lockdown. This mixed-method study included 592 participants between 16 and 24 years old (M = 19.01, SD = 2.32), with the majority being female (70.9%) and students (82.3%) at high school (55.1%) or university (44.9%). Negative impacts are highlighted in the categories: relationships, physical activity (as well aseno impacts), screen time and academic stress; and no impactsin health and well-being, leisure activities, sleep, diet, academic performance and relationships with teachers and peers. Overall, when compared to the opposite gender, girls report more negative impacts on leisure activities and diet, although more positive impacts on diet, as well as on academic stress; boys stand out in the negative consequences on substance use. At the academic level, students in higher education show more negative impacts on relationships, leisure activities, sleep, diet, screen time and relationships with teachers and peers. Enlightened about the impacts of the second lockdown on their lives, and showing signs of "pandemic fatigue", this study draws attention to the need to associate psychological support measures with those implemented to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

Italian adolescents' adjustment before and during the coronavirus disease 2019: A comparison between mothers' and adolescents' perception

The current cross‐sectional study aimed to analyse adolescents’ adjustment during and before the lockdown caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, by evaluating levels of emotional problems and hyperactivity as referred by adolescents themselves. A further purpose was to compare adolescents’ and mothers’ perception about adolescents’ adjustment. Participants comprised 206 adolescents (50.5% females; mean age = 12.2; SD = 3.3) and their mothers (mean age = 43.9; SD = 5.9). Findings showed that levels of emotional symptoms and hyperactivity in adolescents during the pandemic were significantly higher than before. This worsening was consistently detected by both mothers and adolescents themselves. Two main conclusions are highlighted by the current research: During the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic, adolescents participating to this study detected a worsening in their well‐being; mothers’ perceptions of their adolescents’ psychological problems may be considered reliable and consistent with the offspring’s point of view.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Mental Well-Being of Norwegian Adolescents During the First Wave-Socioeconomic Position and Gender Differences

Background: The lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has been called a crisis in mental health, and adolescents may have been among the most affected. Comparing the first period of societal lockdown in spring 2020 to periods going back to 2014 using a rich cross-sectional dataset based on repeated surveys, we explore the potential changes in self-reported mental well-being across sociodemographic groups among Norway's adolescents. Methods: Norway closed schools and implemented strict restrictions in March 2020; an electronic questionnaire survey was distributed to lower secondary school students in Trøndelag county (N = 2,443) in May 2020. Results were compared with similar surveys conducted annually in the same county dating back to 2014. Logistic regression models were applied to investigate potential changes in depressive symptoms, loneliness, and quality of life and life satisfaction, and to detect possible differences in the impact of lockdown between the genders and socioeconomic groups. Results: The prevalence of boys and girls reporting high quality of life (43-34%; 23-16%) and life satisfaction (91-80%; 82-69%) decreased significantly compared to the pre-pandemic. For girls only, lockdown was associated with higher odds for reporting high depressive symptoms. As expected, the least privileged socioeconomic groups showed the greatest psychological distress. However, our trend analyses provided no evidence that the socioeconomic inequalities in psychological distress (according to prevalence of high depressive symptoms or loneliness) changed substantial in any direction during the first wave of the pandemic [between the pre-pandemic and inter-pandemic periods]. Conclusion: Adolescents are vulnerable, and interventions should provide them with mental health support during crises such as societal lockdown. In particular, the social and health policy, public health, and further research should target these least privileged groups.

Explaining Variation in Parents' and Their Children's Stress During COVID-19 Lockdowns

The coronavirus pandemic poses a substantial threat to people across the globe. In the first half of 2020, governments limited the spread of virus by imposing diverse regulations. These regulations had a particular impact on families as parents had to manage their occupational situation and childcare in parallel. Here, we examine a variation in parents' and children's stress during the lockdowns in the first half of 2020 and detect the correlates of families' stress. Between April and June 2020, we conducted an explorative online survey among n = 422 parents of 3- to 10-year-old children residing in 17 countries. Most participants came from Germany (n = 274), Iran (n = 70), UK (n = 23), and USA (n = 23). Parents estimated their own stress, the stress of their own children, and various information on potential correlates (e.g., accommodation, family constellation, education, community size, playtime for children, contact with peers, media consumption, and physical activity). Parents also stated personal values regarding openness to change, self-transcendence, self-enhancement, and conservation. The results indicate a substantial variation in the stress levels of families and their diverse reactions to regulations. Media consumption by children commonly increased in comparison to the time before the pandemic. Parents raising both pre-school- and school-aged children were at a particular risk of experiencing stress in response to regulations. Estimated stress and reactions varied with the age of children and the personal values of parents, suggesting that such variables need to be considered when implementing and evaluating regulations and supporting young families in the current and future pandemic.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Societal Infection Control Measures on Children and Adolescents' Mental Health: A Scoping Review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is primarily a crisis that affects people's physical health. However, it is well-known from previous epidemics and pandemics that there are other indirect negative impacts on mental health, among others. The purpose of this scoping review was to explore and summarise primary empirical research evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic and societal infection control measures have impacted children and adolescents' mental health. Methods: A literature search was conducted in five scientific databases: PubMed, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINHAL, and Social Science Premium Collection. The search string was designed using the Population (0-18 years), Exposure (COVID-19), Outcomes (mental health) framework. Mental health was defined broadly, covering mental well-being to mental disorders and psychiatric conditions. Results: Fifty-nine studies were included in the scoping review. Of these, 44 were cross-sectional and 15 were longitudinal studies. Most studies reported negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and adolescent mental health outcomes, yet the evidence was mixed. This was also the case for studies investigating societal control measures. Strong resilience, positive emotion regulation, physical activity, parental self-efficacy, family functioning and emotional regulation, and social support were reported as protective factors. On the contrary, emotional reactivity and experiential avoidance, exposure to excessive information, COVID-19 school concerns, presence of COVID-19 cases in the community, parental mental health problems, and high internet, social media and video game use were all identified as potentially harmful factors. Conclusions: Due to the methodological heterogeneity of the studies and geographical variation, it is challenging to draw definitive conclusions about the real impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents. However, the existing body of research gives some insight to how parents, clinicians and policy makers can take action to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and control measures. Interventions to promote physical activity and reduce screen time among children and adolescents are recommended, as well as parenting support programs.