Maternal mental health mediates the effects of pandemic‐related stressors on adolescent psychopathology during COVID‐19

Lengua, Liliana J.; Thompson, Stephanie F.; Kim, Stephanie Gyuri; Rosen, Maya L.; Rodman, Alexandra M.; Kasparek, Steven William; Mayes, Makeda; Zalewski, Maureen; Meltzoff, Andrew N.; McLaughlin, Kate A

doi:10.1111/jcpp.13610

Cited by 20 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…More pandemic-time parental mental health symptoms were associated with increased financial concerns during the pandemic in parents of autistic adolescents; this relationship was replicated in the pre-adolescent cohort but only at the bivariate level when other factors weren’t controlled for. This finding is in line with the previous literature that demonstrated the impact of the pandemic on parents ( Lengua et al, 2022 ; Yılmaz et al, 2021 ). Such impacts are expected given the substantial pressure social restrictions have placed on parents to deliver home-schooling and balance work demands, along with additional physical health, mental health and financial concerns.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

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Factors associated with mental health symptoms among UK autistic children and young people and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Palmer

Chandler

Leno

et al. 2023

Autism

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The current study explored the role of pre-existing and pandemic-time child, family or environmental factors in the presentation of mental health symptoms of autistic youth and their parents during the pandemic. Participants were parents/carers of autistic children (Autism Spectrum Treatment and Resilience Cohort, N = 67, Mage = 9 years) and adolescents (QUEST cohort, N = 112, Mage = 17 years). Parents completed an online survey that asked about child and parental mental health, infection experience, and changes to education arrangements, family life, housing and finances during the pandemic. Pre-existing measures of mental health, autism and adaptive functioning were also utilised. More engagement and enjoyment in education provision and going outside was associated with better child and parental mental health. In multivariate multiple linear regression models, more pre-existing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms were associated with more behavioural/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms during the pandemic in the pre-adolescent cohort, and with greater emotional symptoms in the adolescent cohort. More pre-existing parental mental health problems were associated with more parental mental health symptoms during the pandemic in both cohorts. Knowledge of pre-existing mental health and pandemic-related stressors may help care planning. Encouraging engagement and enjoyment in education and promoting physical exercise are key intervention targets. Ensuring access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication and support is important, especially if this is managed jointly across school and home. Lay abstract What is already known about the topic: The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions impacted all of society. There is emerging evidence showing a range of impacts on autistic children and young people and their families. Further research that looks at how individuals coped during the pandemic while considering how they were doing before the pandemic is needed. What this paper adds: This article explores whether how well autistic youth were doing before the pandemic influenced how they coped during the pandemic. It also looked at how well their parents were doing during the pandemic and whether any pre-pandemic factors influenced how they coped. Samples of both primary-school-aged autistic children and autistic teenagers and their parents were surveyed to answer these questions. More engagement and enjoyment in education provision during the pandemic and getting outside more were linked with better child and parental mental health during the pandemic. More attention deficit hyperactivity disorder before the pandemic was linked with more attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and behavioural problems during the pandemic in primary-school-aged autistic children, and more emotional problems during the pandemic in autistic teenagers. Parents with more mental health problems during the pandemic had more mental health problems before the pandemic. Implications for practice, research or policy: Encouraging engagement and enjoyment in education and promoting physical exercise are key intervention targets. Ensuring access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication and support is important, especially if this is managed jointly across school and home.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Risk factors for more parental mental health symptoms during the pandemic have included lower pre-pandemic family income and more pandemic-related stressors (e.g. loss of occupation) ( Lengua et al, 2022 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors associated with mental health symptoms among UK autistic children and young people and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Palmer

Chandler

Leno

et al. 2023

Autism

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“…Stress and anxiety in parents, as well as exposure to increased information regarding the pandemic, may cause uncertainty, fear, and other psychological and social consequences for children (Fiorillo and Gorwood, 2020). A study of a community-based sample of mothers and children found that pandemic-related stressors led to an increase in maternal mental health symptoms, which then predicted greater psychopathology symptoms among adolescents (Lengua et al, 2022). Moreover, COVID-19-related threat information from parents and the community contributed to greater fear in children, particularly for younger children (Uy et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Family functioning buffers the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for children’s quality of life and loneliness

et al. 2023

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COVID-19 resulted in mass quarantine measures early in the pandemic. This disruption of daily life widened inequities and made children one of the most vulnerable populations during the crisis. This national, cross-sectional “COVID-Kids” study collected data from almost 500 parent–child dyads using standardized measures to better understand the effects of COVID exposure and impact on children’s quality of life and loneliness. Data were collected via social media from May to July 2020. According to parent proxy and child self-report, United States children experienced worse quality of life (p < 0.0001; d = 0.45 and 0.53) and greater child-reported loneliness (p < 0.0001) when compared to normative, healthy samples (i.e., children who do not have a chronic medical condition). Older children (r = 0.16, p = 0.001) and female children (r = 0.11, p = 0.02) reported greater loneliness. Higher child-reported family functioning scores were associated with better quality of life (r = 0.36, p < 0.0001) and less loneliness (r = −0.49, p < 0.0001). Moderated mediation analyses indicated the indirect effect of parent COVID impact on the association between COVID exposure and child quality of life was weaker in the context of better family functioning. Results of this study raise concern for the short-and long-term sequelae of the pandemic on the physical and mental health of children. Healthcare providers and researchers must find new and innovative ways to protect the well-being of children. Strengthening family functioning may buffer the effects of the pandemic and improve overall quality of life in our “COVID Kids.”

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“…Next, we consider how the crisis in child and parent mental health are inextricably linked, through family processes. As hypothesized by the COVID-19 family disruption model (Prime et al, 2020), psychological distress, parenting stress, and economic pressure have weighed heavily on parents, leading to strain within family relationships, reductions in family cohesion, and threats to child mental health and well-being (Fosco et al, 2022; Lengua et al, 2022). Recognizing that pandemic-related family stress is a bidirectional and reciprocal process is essential to understanding the reverberations of the pandemic across time; stress in one family member or relationship may lead to stress in another family member or relationship, which in turn feeds back in a self-maintaining loop (Browne et al, 2021).…”

Section: What Is Next?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Building family resilience in the wake of a global pandemic: Looking back to prepare for the future.

Prime,

Walsh,

Masten

2023

Canadian Psychology / Psychologie canadienne

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Public Significance StatementFamily resilience describes processes whereby children and families respond to adversity by deepening family bonds, fostering a positive outlook, and adapting to changing demands and circumstances in a way that fosters positive growth. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, children and families continue to experience relational, social, and economic stressors, with mental health needs that far surpass available services. Family-centred and accessible mental health care services that aim to strengthen family resilience are needed for individuals, families, and societies in order to heal from the pandemic and prepare for future global challenges.

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Maternal mental health mediates the effects of pandemic‐related stressors on adolescent psychopathology during COVID‐19

Cited by 20 publications

References 59 publications

Factors associated with mental health symptoms among UK autistic children and young people and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Factors associated with mental health symptoms among UK autistic children and young people and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Family functioning buffers the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for children’s quality of life and loneliness

Building family resilience in the wake of a global pandemic: Looking back to prepare for the future.

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