Hope and Self-Compassion to Alleviate Parenting Stress in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

As the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted all aspects of life, parents have been subjected to more household and caregiving responsibilities and stressors. The purpose of this study is to investigate how hope, self-compassion, and perception of COVID-19 health risks influence parenting stress. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 362 parents living in the United States completed an online survey in July 2020. Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher levels of hope are related to lower levels of parenting stress. On the other hand, lower levels of self-compassion as indicated by higher scores on the subscales of isolation, self-judgment, and overidentification are related to higher levels of parenting stress. Further, testing positive for the coronavirus is positively related to parenting stress, whereas the belief that COVID-19 is a serious disease is negatively related to parenting stress. Findings also revealed the significant role of hope in moderating the relation between self-compassion and parenting stress. This study highlights the importance of nurturing and drawing from one’s own psychological resources to mitigate parenting stress, particularly in the context of a chronic source of stress like a pandemic. Implications for the counseling profession are discussed.

Hope's relationship with resilience and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…A great deal of work has been dedicated to studying the increase of stress during the pandemic and its predictors [ 5 , 13 ]. Much of this work has been focused on vulnerability factors but increasing work has examined protective factors including hope [ 5 , 13 ].…”

“…A great deal of work has been dedicated to studying the increase of stress during the pandemic and its predictors [ 5 , 13 ]. Much of this work has been focused on vulnerability factors but increasing work has examined protective factors including hope [ 5 , 13 ]. Hope has been shown in past work to act as a buffer against stress [ 14 ], and this relationship is replicated in samples collected during the pandemic.…”

“…Specifically, hope predicted lower perceived stress one month later during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic, 5]. Not only does hope protect against perceived stress, but it also buffers against other types of stress such as parenting stress [ 13 ]. Parents who were more hopeful were found to report less parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional sample of American adults [ 13 ].…”

“…Not only does hope protect against perceived stress, but it also buffers against other types of stress such as parenting stress [ 13 ]. Parents who were more hopeful were found to report less parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional sample of American adults [ 13 ]. Hope was also found to be a moderator of self-compassion’s effects on parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 13 ].…”

“…Parents who were more hopeful were found to report less parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional sample of American adults [ 13 ]. Hope was also found to be a moderator of self-compassion’s effects on parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 13 ]. These findings illustrate hope has both direct and buffering effects on stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”