Objective: The main aim of the study was to examine levels of parental stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety in the general parental population (N = 2868) during the strict government-initiated physical distancing protocols following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We further investigated specific predictors of parental distress, including burnout, anger aimed at children, worry, lack of social support, lower perceived self-efficacy, and difficulty to work from home.Method: In this cross-sectional, epidemiological study, we disseminate an online survey that was administered two weeks after the government-initiated physical distancing protocols were established. Data were collected from March 31 to April 7. Results: Female parents compared to male parents and parents living with more than one child per parent or child(ren) with special needs compared to those living with one or fewer children per parent reported higher levels of parental stress. Burnout and social support were further associated with parental stress. Specifically, nearly one-fourth of the parents reported that they have felt burned out or in the proximity of feeling burned out more than half the days during the social distancing interventions. Also, 29% of the parents reported that they were angrier at their child(ren) than usual during the physical distancing period.Parents with a pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis had significantly higher parental stress compared to individuals with no psychiatric diagnosis. The reported prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms above standardized cutoff levels among the 2868 parents was 25.4% for depression and 24.1% for anxiety, with the highest prevalence score on both symptoms of anxiety (37.6%) and depression (38.5%) for the youngest parents (age group 21–30 years). Furthermore, the parents who were home with their children and predominantly followed distancing protocol by socially distancing from public activity and peers (i.e., at least 10 out of 14 days) had significantly higher symptoms of depression (29%) and anxiety (27%), compared to parents who did not isolate in the same manner (i.e., depression 13% and anxiety 15%). Conclusions: The present study reveals that home confinement during the restricted lockdown period is related to markedly high levels of parental stress, in addition to symptoms of depression and anxiety in parents. Given the detrimental effects of depression, anxiety, and parental stress on the quality of life, morbidity rates, as well as adverse child outcomes and the potential risk of child abuse and neglect, these results suggest that appropriate action should be taken to impede further development of these symptoms, as well as developing interventions aimed at vulnerable subgroups and other relevant factors associated with increased parental stress. Keywords: COVID-19 lockdown, parental stress, depression, anxiety

Background: In the unpredictable times of the ongoing global coronavirus disease (COVID-19), parents worldwide are affected by stressors and strains that follow in the wake of the government-initiated distancing protocols.Objective: In a two‐wave longitudinal survey, we examined levels of parental perceived stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression among a sample of parents at two time points; in the midst of the strictest government-initiated physical distancing protocols following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (T1, N = 2868) and three months after the protocols discontinued (T2, n = 1489). Further, we investigated the levels of parental stress, anxiety, and depression relative to perceived relationship quality and anger aimed at child(ren) at the two time points, including subgroups based on age, sex, cultural background, civil status, education level, number of children in household, employment status, and pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis.Methods and findings:Parents were asked to fill out a set of validated questionnaires on the two measurement occasions. As expected, the findings indicate that the high levels of parental stress significantly decreased from T1 to T2, indicating that the cumulative stressors that parent’s experiences during distancing protocols declined as a function of the phaseout of the protocols. The decrease of perceived parental stress at the two time points, was accompanied by a significant decrease in symptoms of both depression and anxiety among the participating parents. Symptoms meeting the clinical cut-off for depression (23.0%) and generalized anxiety disorder (23.3%) were reported among participating parents at T1, compared to 16.8% and 13.8% respectively at T2. Reduction in depression and angry at child(ren) from T1 to T2 were further associated with a reduction in perceived parental stress. In addition, relationship quality and angry at child(ren) at T1 predicted change in parental stress. Conclusions: The findings underline some of the negative psychological impact of physical distancing protocols on parent’s health and well-being. Parents who are facing physical distancing and remaining at home with their children may be particularly vulnerable to parental stress, anxiety and depression. Uncovering the nature of how these constructs are associated to parents and families facing social crisis, such as the ongoing pandemic, can contribute to design relevant interventions to reduce parental stress and strengthen parental coping and resilience.Keywords: COVID-19 lockdown, parental stress, anxiety, depression, social distancing.

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The consequences of pathogenic variants in the NF1 gene can manifest in numerous tissues as a result of loss of neurofibromin protein function(s

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