Impact of Home Confinement due to COVID-19 Outbreaks on Stress Levels and Coping Patterns of Mothers and their Children’s Behaviors

Abstract

In the fight against COVID-19, the majority of the population around the world had to stay in their homes in addition workplaces, schools, shops, and restaurants were shut down. Home confinement and social distancing strategies resulted in parenting stress and changes in children's behaviors during the covid pandemic. Aim: assess the impact of home confinement due to COVID-19 outbreaks on stress levels and coping patterns of mothers and their children's behaviors. Method and design: a descriptive research design was carried out at the maternal and child health center at Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt, on (194) mothers and their accompanied children (194). An interview questionnaire sheet was used to collect data about the characteristics of mothers and their children. As well as, mothers' stress levels and coping patterns and children's behaviors due to home confinement created by COVID-19 outbreaks. Results: more than two-thirds of the mothers had a high-stress level and the most common stressors that mothers faced were psychological. In addition, about two-thirds of the mothers had a low coping level toward their stressors and affective-oriented coping was used by mothers more than problem-oriented coping. Also, most of the children had abnormal moods and behavior. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were found between mothers' work, family income, total stressors facing them, and total coping scores. Conclusion: home confinement created by COVID-19 outbreaks has a negative effect on mothers' stress levels and children's behavior. Recommendation: educational interventions for families and children to enable them to cope and adjust to emergency health hazards.