Child Adjustment During COVID-19: The Role of Economic Hardship, Caregiver Stress, and Pandemic Play

Factors Associated with Resilience in Children During a Disaster: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review maps and assesses the literature on resilience in children affected by disasters, identifying critical factors that contribute to resilience, including social support, mental health, family function, and socioeconomic status.

METHODS

A literature search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL Complete, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Scopus for studies published between 2002 and 2023, focusing on children and adolescents (ages 0-18) affected by natural or man-made disasters. Studies on adults, PTSD, or adverse childhood experiences were excluded. Data extraction was thematically synthesized to examine resilience factors.

RESULTS

Of 244 articles, 16 met the inclusion criteria. Social support emerged as a key resilience factor in 8 studies, and 6 linked higher resilience to fewer mental health symptoms. Five studies during COVID-19 highlighted adaptive behaviors, while family dynamics and community support were critical in 5 studies. Socioeconomic status, explored in 4 studies, revealed complex influences.

CONCLUSIONS

Social and emotional support are crucial for resilience in children after disasters. Targeted interventions could significantly improve outcomes. Limitations include few child-focused studies and uncontrolled confounders. Future research should focus on resilience interventions, especially for lower socioeconomic populations.

Validation of the Sibling Perception Questionnaire in healthy siblings of children with chronic illnesses

The purpose of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the parent-report version of the Sibling Perception Questionnaire (SPQ) in well-siblings. Participants were 200 caregivers of healthy children ages 9-17 years who had a sibling (ages 0-18 years) diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, spina bifida, or congenital heart disease. The SPQ had acceptable internal consistency reliability for the total score (α = 0.83) and displayed acceptable convergent validity as evidenced by medium to large positive correlations with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (r's ranged from 0.39 to 0.56). The original four-factor model displayed a poor model fit (CFI = 0.6, RMSEA = 0.11, TLI = 0.55, SRMR = 0.14) in comparison to a revised, 14-item four-factor model (CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.07, TLI = 0.90, SRMR = 0.06). The shortened, 14-item parent-report version of the SPQ largely demonstrated good psychometric properties and has the potential to reduce the burden of caregivers filling out the measure.

High-quality early care and education for low-income families: Toddlers' cognitive and emotional functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic

High-quality early care and education (ECE) programs are associated with positive outcomes, especially for children from low-income families. During the initial COVID-19 pandemic lockdown many of these families faced an abrupt halt to ECE. Here, we examined how toddlers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in high-quality ECE programs in the United States during the 2020 pandemic (n = 48) fared on cognitive and socioemotional outcomes compared to a 2019 pre-pandemic cohort (n = 94) and a pandemic 2021 cohort (n = 132). Toddlers in the 2020 cohort scored significantly lower on executive function compared to toddlers in 2019 and 2021 cohorts. Toddlers in the 2020 cohort had higher ratings self-regulation compared to the pre-pandemic cohort, but not 2021 cohort. There were no differences on attachment ratings between cohorts. Findings suggest that the abrupt halt to ECE programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted US toddlers' cognitive and socioemotional abilities. This underscores the importance of continued high-quality ECE for infants and toddlers from low-income families during disruptive times. Further work is needed to investigate the long-term impacts of experiencing an abrupt halt to ECE due to COVID-19.

2-Year-olds' free play during the COVID-19 pandemic

Free play is a natural activity in toddlerhood, depending on environmental conditions like available objects and the social environment. The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences for parents' mental health held the potential to change toddlers' play environment. This cross-sectional study investigated 2-year-olds' (N = 97) free play with objects, and aspects of caregiver mental well-being in three cohorts during the pandemic in Germany. Caregivers reported their positive mental health (PMH), threat perception, perception of current family situation from negative to positive, and workload. We categorized toddlers' behavior in free play sessions in their homes with a fixed set of objects through behavioral coding. Play behavior did not differ between cohorts and did not correlate with caregivers' positive mental health, threat perception, and perception of family situation. A MANOVA revealed a significant main effect of cohort on PMH, threat perception and perception of family situation, qualified by two discriminant functions. Full sample analyses revealed that toddlers of caregivers perceiving a workload increase compared to the time before the pandemic showed less pretend play, and less functional and nonfunctional play. The results provide insights into 2-year-olds' play behavior during a global pandemic and highlight the role of caregiver availability for children's play.

Play as a Stress-Coping Method Among Children in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

The COVID-19 pandemic, which started in early 2020, has been a great source of stress for almost every person all around the world. However, this is particularly true for children. It is necessary to fully address the stress-related psychosocial issues connected with the pandemic, solely in children. Play is important for children's development, as it is a natural activity for every child. Through play and play-based interventions, children can communicate non-verbally, symbolically, and in an action-oriented manner. Therefore, play-based interventions may have the potential to be one of the coping strategies used by children who experience stress, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this narrative review was to show how play-based activities could help children deal with stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the non-clinical population. A systematic search of the literature in various databases was performed. The initial search provided 5,004 potentially eligible studies in various databases, and 42,201 records identified from Google Scholar. After excluding studies not meeting the inclusive criteria, nine papers were selected for this narrative review. This narrative review showed findings that play-based activities can have a positive effect during the COVID-19 pandemic on different stress levels in the children population. Additionally, the findings of this review highlight the importance of further research and implementation of play into many aspects of children's life.

Pandemic play moderates the relation between caregiver stress and child emotional distress in contexts of economic adversity

It is well-established that caregiver stress is linked to increased emotional distress among children, and recent evidence highlights similar associations between caregiver and child emotional well-being during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Examining protective factors and coping mechanisms that are associated with resiliency in the face of pandemic-related stress can highlight potential strategies that may help children adapt to other unexpected hardships outside of a global pandemic. Previous research found that playing about the pandemic moderated an association between caregiver stress and children's emotional distress. However, few studies have explored "pandemic play" among children from low-income households, where pandemic-related stressors were often exacerbated. In the present study, 72 caregivers of Head Start preschoolers between 3 and 6  years of age were surveyed between late 2020 and early 2021. Results revealed that 32% of children engaged in pandemic play frequently. Caregiver stress was positively associated with child emotional distress, but only among children who did not engage in pandemic play frequently. These findings support the idea that child-directed play may be a developmentally appropriate and accessible coping mechanism to reduce the emotional burden of stressful events on children, regardless of economic context.

The Application of Family Stress Model to Investigating Adolescent Problematic Behaviors: The Moderating Role of Assets

The Family Stress Model framework proposes that household income can influence child and youth development through caregiver psychological distress. While prior studies have observed stronger associations among households with lower income, the role of assets has been ignored. This is unfortunate, as many existing policies and practices that intend to improve child and family well-being are focused on assets. The purpose of this study is to clarify whether asset poverty moderates the direct and indirect effects of paths linking household income, caregiver psychological distress, and adolescent problematic behaviors. Using the 2017 and 2019 Panel Study of Income Dynamic Main Study and 2019 and 2020 Child Development Supplements, we find that the family stress processes consisting of household income, caregiver psychological distress, and adolescent problematic behaviors are less intensive for families with more assets. These findings not only add our knowledge of FSM by taking account the moderating role of assets but also advance our understanding that assets can benefit child and family well-being through alleviating family stress processes.

Parental Perspectives on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Infant, Child, and Adolescent Development

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to understand how families from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds perceived the impact of the pandemic on the development of their children.

METHODS

We used a multimethod approach guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, which identifies 5 developmental systems (micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono). Semistructured interviews were conducted in English or Spanish with parents living in 5 geographic regions of the United States between July and September 2021. Participants also completed the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey.

RESULTS

Forty-eight families participated, half of whose preferred language was Spanish, with a total of 99 children ages newborn to 19 years. Most qualitative themes pertained to developmental effects of the microsystem and macrosystem. Although many families described negative effects of the pandemic on development, others described positive or no perceived effects. Some families reported inadequate government support in response to the pandemic as causes of stress and potential negative influences on child development. As context for their infant's development, families reported a variety of economic hardships on the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey, such as having to move out of their homes and experiencing decreased income.

CONCLUSION

In addition to negative impacts, many parents perceived positive pandemic-attributed effects on their child's development, mainly from increased time for parent-child interaction. Families described economic hardships that were exacerbated by the pandemic and that potentially affect child development and insufficient government responses to these hardships. These findings hold important lessons for leaders who wish to design innovative solutions that address inequities in maternal, family, and child health.

Risks and opportunities for children's well-being in resource-constrained multigenerational households during COVID-19: Implications for school psychology interventions

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic had a global impact on family social and economic well-being. Individuals and families sought alternative living arrangements as a result of the financial crisis, health implications, and housing insecurity, with many joining multigenerational households. However, it is unknown how multigenerational family life affects children's well-being. Therefore, this qualitative study explored risks and resilience-building opportunities for children's psychological and social well-being in resource-constrained multigenerational households during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. Five multigenerational families were selected through snowball sampling and case design. The three generations of participants were grandparents (n = 5), parents (n = 7), and children (n = 4). Data were gathered through a questionnaire and interviews. The study received institutional ethics approval. After thematic analysis, two themes and six sub-themes were identified. Risks were related to interpersonal conflict, family collective fear of COVID-19, and children's multiple other fears. Opportunities were identified as academic support, shared responsibilities, life skills and values acquisition, and family cohesion. Results demonstrated the potential risks and resilience-building opportunities multigenerational households present for children's psychosocial well-being. Multisystemic influences in a multigenerational household contribute to children's adjustment. These outcomes necessitate systemic school psychology interventions. Longitudinal studies are recommended to explore child well-being trends in multigenerational households in varying socioeconomic contexts.

Mental Health Is a Family Affair-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Associations between Mental Health Problems in Parents and Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a multidimensional and universal stressor, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected the mental health of children, adolescents, and adults worldwide. In particular, families faced numerous restrictions and challenges. From the literature, it is well known that parental mental health problems and child mental health outcomes are associated. Hence, this review aims to summarize the current research on the associations of parental mental health symptoms and child mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a systematic literature search in Web of Science (all databases) and identified 431 records, of which 83 articles with data of over 80,000 families were included in 38 meta-analyses. A total of 25 meta-analyses resulted in significant small to medium associations between parental mental health symptoms and child mental health outcomes (r = 0.19 to 0.46, p < 0.05). The largest effects were observed for the associations of parenting stress and child mental health outcomes. A dysfunctional parent-child interaction has been identified as a key mechanism for the transmission of mental disorders. Thus, specific parenting interventions are needed to foster healthy parent-child interactions, to promote the mental health of families, and to reduce the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From parental issues of job and finance to child well-being and maltreatment: A systematic review of the pandemic-related spillover effect

BACKGROUND

Covid-19 pandemic jeopardized family well-being at the population level internationally. Pandemic-related job/financial difficulties in parents have a spillover effect on their child's well-being and issues of child maltreatment.

OBJECTIVE

The current review sought to systematically summarize and analyze this pandemic-related spillover effect.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

In the home setting, participants involved 11,100 adolescents, 9144 parents/caregivers, and another 7927 parent-children dyads.

METHODS

An extensive literature search in 13 electronic databases was conducted. A total 21 eligible papers published from 2020 to 2022 were included for further thematic analysis.

RESULTS

A significant positive relationship between the pandemic-related spillover effect from parental job or financial issues to child maltreatment and child's mental/behavioral issues was established. The internal mechanisms demonstrated that this relationship was intermediated or moderated by the interactions of parental mental health issues, parenting practice, and family relationships. Families with particular factors may be more vulnerable and sensitive to the spillover effect during the pandemic. The work-from-home arrangement was found as positively related to enhanced parenting warmth and parent-child relationship in some cases who had relatively high familial social-economic status.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of current review provided the evidences from empirical data. During the Covid-19 pandemic, spillover effect from parental job/financial issues significantly influenced the child well-being and family functioning. Future efforts for intervention/service design should be made to enhance familial protective factors and support those families with vulnerable factors.

Nowcasting unemployment rate during the COVID-19 pandemic using Twitter data: The case of South Africa

The global economy has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries are experiencing a severe and destructive recession. A significant number of firms and businesses have gone bankrupt or been scaled down, and many individuals have lost their jobs. The main goal of this study is to support policy- and decision-makers with additional and real-time information about the labor market flow using Twitter data. We leverage the data to trace and nowcast the unemployment rate of South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, we create a dataset of unemployment-related tweets using certain keywords. Principal Component Regression (PCR) is then applied to nowcast the unemployment rate using the gathered tweets and their sentiment scores. Numerical results indicate that the volume of the tweets has a positive correlation, and the sentiments of the tweets have a negative correlation with the unemployment rate during and before the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the now-casted unemployment rate using PCR has an outstanding evaluation result with a low Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Symmetric MAPE (SMAPE) of 0.921, 0.018, 0.018, respectively and a high R²-score of 0.929.