Family Functioning in the Time of COVID-19 Among Economically Vulnerable Families: Risks and Protective Factors

Abstract

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has been particularly harmful to economically vulnerable families with young children. We surveyed 247 low-income mothers and fathers from 142 families in the United States about changes in their family life following the economic and social restrictions imposed by the pandemic. We examined the associations between pandemic-related risk factors such as economic stressors (e.g., loss of job) and social stressors (e.g., exposure to the virus) on family functioning (e.g., parents’ mental health, parent engagement, and children’s socioemotional behaviors) and the degree to which coparenting support and parents’ positivity protected families from the negative effects of these stressors on their wellbeing. We found both positive and negative associations. Mothers and fathers who reported more economic stressors since the pandemic also observed that their children behaved more prosocially and that fathers experienced more mental health difficulties during the pandemic. Mothers and fathers who reported more social stressors reported that they were less engaged with their children and their children exhibited more behavior problems compared to before the pandemic. We also found that mothers and fathers who reported feeling more positive also reported feeling less depressed and stressed during the pandemic and observed that their children had more prosocial behaviors compared to before the pandemic. Compared to before the pandemic, mothers and fathers who reported a more supportive coparenting relationship also reported more parent engagement and observed more prosocial behaviors in their children. In terms of protective factors, high levels of parent positivity during the pandemic protected mothers (less mental health difficulties) whereas high levels of coparenting support protected fathers (less mental health difficulties) from the negative effects of economic stress on their mental health during the pandemic. These findings highlight family processes that could promote resilience in mothers and fathers in the face of pandemic-related economic and social stressors.

Risks and Protective Factors of Hispanic Families and Their Young Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The ongoing COVID-19 crisis continues to cause havoc in all aspects of our lives. The effect of the pandemic on family functioning and the measures in place to contain its spread have been particularly felt among families with limited economic and social resources, such as Hispanic families [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. The pandemic has also dramatically changed young children’s lives; their daily routines and child care arrangements suddenly changed overnight [ 5 , 6 ].…”

“…Amidst adversity and chaos, low-income families also exhibit many strengths; that is, they draw on individual-, family-, or community-level resources to protect themselves from the negative effects of risk on their wellbeing [ 15 ]. For instance, being optimistic and having a good coparenting relationship with one’s partner can help parents cope with stress, feel less stressed, and engage with children in positive ways [ 2 , 16 ]. Economic support (e.g., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP) and having access to services and information about resources (e.g., information about parenting programs) are significantly related to parent and child wellbeing [ 17 ].…”

Wellbeing determinants of household’s ability to make ends meet – A hierarchical regression model for Abu Dhabi

“…This tends to suggest that Abu Dhabi households engage more in such discussions only if they are faced with financial challenges. Families adopt various coping strategies, including reliance on family and relationships, when they experience economic hardship and financial stress (Gjertson, 2016;He et al, 2021;Tobe et al, 2016). In Abu Dhabi, the pressure of making ends meet may have expedited family discussions on financial matters.…”

Parental Burnout During the Second Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Role of Parenting Stressors and Coparenting Support

“…For some families, the long-term nature of their parenting stressors may have provided new opportunities to support one another within the family. For example, some families’ routines suddenly changed with fewer work and school commutes, fewer extracurricular activities, more family time, and increased coparenting support ( Bender et al, 2022 ; He et al, 2021 ; Mikolajczak & Roskam, 2020 ). Given the prolonged stressors and changes to many families’ daily lives due to COVID-19, it is important to examine the risk and protective factors for burnout that parents experienced during the second year of the pandemic.…”