Effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on caregiver mental health and the child caregiving environment in a low‐resource, rural context

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens child development throughout the world as nutrition, routine healthcare, and the ability to provide nurturing care for young children are disrupted (Yoshikawa et al., 2020). In many low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), COVID-19 lockdowns have resulted in difficulties accessing essential healthcare,

The ecology of youth psychological wellbeing in the COVID-19 pandemic.

“…Underpinning all difficulties, however, is a lowering of the quality of the crucial relationship between caregiver and child. Thus, Pitchik et al (2021) conclude that early child development has been influenced both directly and indirectly by the pandemic, and these effects are exacerbated in contexts of poverty.…”

“…Consistent, too, with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems framework ( Bronfenbrenner & Evans, 2000 ), children’s development is characterized as nesting within multiple interacting levels (cultural, sociopolitical and economic, parenting and individual), of which the most powerful is the child’s immediate care setting ( Britto et al, 2017 ).

Figure 1 Adapted model of factors that can influence the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the child (from Pitchik et al, 2021 ’s conceptual model, originally developed through the lens of the nurturing care framework).

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“… Adapted model of factors that can influence the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the child (from Pitchik et al, 2021 ’s conceptual model, originally developed through the lens of the nurturing care framework). …”

“… Masten & Cicchetti, 2010 note, at any point, well-timed and targeted interventions could counteract negative cascades by reducing problems in key domains or building competence in others—and key domains may refer to different levels of the child’s context. Figure 2 , again adapted from Pitchik et al (2021) , reconceptualizes Figure 1 to provide a broad overview of possible interventions at each level of the ecological system. Note that I do not discuss all of the factors in Figure 2 but focus on those specifically related to mental health.…”

“…Initially, however, I present a brief overview of what the research findings to date inform us about at the time of writing about the overall effects of COVID-19 and its sequelae on the mental health of adults (often caregivers) and youth. Thereafter, I outline the theoretical frameworks that have guided my approach: an adapted ecological systems view (drawing on Pitchik et al, 2021 ) and a developmental psychopathology approach ( Masten & Cicchetti, 2010 ). Third, I consider what the evidence to date tells us about the role of factors at each “nested” level by considering the more nuanced picture of who might be especially at risk of negative outcomes and the potential influential mechanisms.…”