No abstract

No abstract

The current study investigated the impacts of parental behaviors (threat communication and comforting) on children's COVID-19 fears and whether effects differed by age.Caregivers of 283 children (5.5-17 years, M = 10.17, SD = 3.25) from 186 families completed online measures assessing children's and parents' COVID-19-related fears, children's sources of COVID-19 threat information, and parents' engagement in behaviors to reduce child distress (i.e., comfort behaviors). Higher COVID-19 fear in parents was associated with greater communication of COVID-19 threat information, which was associated with higher COVID-19 fear in younger, but not older, children. Over and above parental fear and threat communication, greater exposure to COVID-19 threat information from community sources (e.g., media, school, friends) was associated with greater COVID-19 fear in children, regardless of age. Greater engagement of parental comfort behaviors buffered the association between community sources of COVID-19 threat information and COVID-19 fears in older, but not younger, children. These findings suggest that younger children might be more vulnerable to developing heightened COVID-19 fears as a result of increasing sources of COVID-19 threat information in their lives. This study highlights the importance of supporting the socioemotional wellbeing of children and families through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Much of life has moved online due to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, yet little research has investigated whether or not virtual social interactions might help to buffer against loneliness and increase well-being, particularly in the vulnerable group of emerging adults. In this study, participants completed online questionnaires assessing objective social isolation, loneliness, mental health, and virtual social interactions. There was clear evidence for lower well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in emerging adults characterized by large increases in depressive symptoms, and large decrements in happiness and social satisfaction post-pandemic onset. In line with expectations, a robust positive association was seen between household size (an index of objective social contact) and well-being. However, contrary to expectations, there was no association between the frequency of virtual social interactions and well-being. More empirical evidence is required before “virtual” remedies are prescribed as a panacea to replace in-person interactions during COVID-19.

No abstract