PARENTING and stress DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, Americans are experiencing an unprecedented shift in their social relationships. For nearly all Americans, daily life has been significantly disrupted. Social distancing and social isolation mandates have resulted in less support from friends, neighbors, and loved ones. Schools are closed and many parents are spending more time with their children. These changes are happening during enormously stressful conditions with a high degree of economic uncertainty. We collected survey data collected from 600 Americans during March - April 2020. The survey examined parenting, mental health, coping skills, and romantic relationships during the Coronavirus pandemic. We have also conducted analyses of the U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey to examine caregiver wellbeing and mental health during the pandemic. This study is registered with the World Pandemic Research Network.
​WPRN-517152, 25/01/2021: https://wprn.org/item/517152

---

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

CO-INVESTIGATOR

Shawna J. Lee, PhD

Christina Rodriguez, PhD; Kaitlin P. Ward, MSW

RELATED PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

• Rodriguez, C.M., Lee, S.J., & *Ward, K.P. (2022). Applying socio-emotional information processing theory to explain child abuse risk: Emerging patterns from the COVID-19 pandemic. Child Abuse & Neglect.
  Ward, K.P., & Lee, S.J. (2022). Associations of food insecurity and material social support with parent and child mental health during COVID-19. Children and Youth Services Review, 14, 106562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106562
• Todorovic, K., O’Leary, B., Ward, K.P., Devarasetty, P.P., Lee, S.J., Knox, M., & Andari, E. (2022). Prevalence, increase and predictors of family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, using modern machine learning approaches. Frontiers in Psychiatry.  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.883294/full
• Lee, S.J., Ward, K.P., Grogan-Kaylor, A., & Singh, V. (2022). Anxiety and depression during COVID-19: Are adults in households with children faring worse? Journal of General Internal Medicine. doi: 10.1007/s11606-021-07256-9
• Rodriguez, C.M., Lee, S.J., Ward, K.P., & Pu, D.F. (2020). The perfect storm: Hidden risk of child maltreatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Child Maltreatment. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559520982066    
• Lee, S.J., Ward, K.P., & Rodriguez, C.M. (2021). Longitudinal analysis of short-term changes in relationship conflict during COVID-19: A risk and resilience perspective. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211006359
• Ortega, R.M., Johnson-Motoyama, M., Merkel-Holguin, L., Rodriguez, C.M., Lee, S.J., Maguire-Jack, K., & Herrenkohl, T.I. (2021). Fedele F. and Iris M. Fauri 2020 Memorial Lecture: Child Welfare and the COVID-19 Pandemic. APSAC Advisor, 33(2), 8-19.
• Lee, S.J., Ward, K.P., Chang, O.D., & Downing, K.D. (2021). Parenting activities and the transition to home-based education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children and Youth Services Review, 105885, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105585
• Lee, S.J., Ward, K.P., Lee, J.Y., & Rodriguez, C.M. (2021). Parental social isolation and child maltreatment risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Violence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-020-00244-3
• Herd, T., Connell, C., Duprey, E., Jackson, Y., Noll, J., Lee, S.J., & Mason, A. (2020, July). Research brief: Mitigating the risk for child maltreatment in the context of COVID-19. Retrieved from: https://www.research2policy.org/covid19-policy-brief-child-maltreat
• Lee, S.J., lead author on behalf of the Michigan Child Welfare Inter-university Consortium (2020, April). We can’t forget Michigan’s abused and neglected children during COVID-19. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved from: https://bit.ly/2OfqVHv​
• Lee, S.J., & Ward, K.P. (2021, January). Mental health, relationships, and coping during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Paper presented at the annual Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference (virtual conference).
• Lee, S.J., Ward, K.P., & Lee, J.Y. (2021, January). Parenting during a pandemic: Social isolation and risk for child maltreatment. Paper presented at the Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference (virtual conference).
• Lee, S.J.  (2021, January). A snapshot of how American families are coping during a pandemic. Symposium organized for the Society for Social Work Research Annual Conference (virtual conference).
  
  

---

HIGHLIGHTED NEWS

• March 29, 2021
  University of Michigan
  ​Crucial Conversations: The Pandemic's Disproportionate Impact on Women
  
• August 7, 2020
  Michigan Minds
  ​Maize & BLUEprint: Recognizing the Emotional Impacts of COVID-19
• May 21, 2020
  ​The New York Times
  How to Tell if It’s More Than Just a Bad Mood
• May 1, 2020
  ​90.9 WBUR-FM Here & Now
  The Stress Of Parenting During A Pandemic
• April 27, 2020
  ​Detroit Free Press
  We can’t forget Michigan's abused and neglected children during COVID-19 | Opinion
• April 24, 2020
  WDET 101.9FM​
  How to Cope With Daily Anxiety During COVID-19​

• April 22, 2020
  University of Michigan News Press Release
  ​Coping with COVID-19: Adults turn to alcohol, marijuana
• March 31, 2020
  ​University of Michigan News ​Press Release
  ​Parents are having more conflict with children since pandemic

READ THE RESEARCH BRIEF: Parents’ Perceptions of the Shift to Home-based Education during the Covid-19 Pandemic

DOWNLOAD

Read the research brief: Mental health, relationships, and coping during the coronavirus pandemic

DOWNLOAD

​READ THE RESEARCH BRIEF: stress and parenting during the coronavirus pandemic
​
​

DOWNLOAD

EVIDENCE-BASED RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Feeling Overwhelmed with Parenting Demands?
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Parenting in a Pandemic: Tips to Keep the Calm at Home
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Stress and Coping
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Child Trends: Resources for Supporting Children’s Emotional Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Child Trends: Ways to Promote Children’s Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic​
• TRAILS: COVID-19 Resources
• TRAILS: Self Care During COVID-19
• ​TRAILS: Tips for Supporting Student Wellness During COVID-19
• Zero to Three: Young Children at Home during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Importance of Self-Care
• ​Zero to Thrive: Coloring Story Book to Help Children with Feelings During COVID-19
• Zero to Thrive: Helping Families in Times of Crisis
• Zero to Thrive: Helping Children with Big Feelings During COVID-19

<

View Ongoing Project 4 >