Psychosocial stress in young families after the pandemic: no time to rest

Abstract

Background During the pandemic, parenting stress and mental health challenges for both parents and children have increased. However, the lasting repercussions for families remain largely unexplored. Additionally, young families currently face stressors such as economic inflation, the Russia-Ukraine War, and the climate crisis, whose impacts on family well-being are not yet understood. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study involving families (N = 17,333) with children aged 0–9 years to examine parenting stress and mental health issues among both parents and children in light of current societal challenges. Validated questionnaires were used to gather data, and potential factors contributing to parenting stress were investigated. Results We found that 53.7% of parents reported feeling stressed or very stressed in their parenting role, with 13.5% experiencing anxiety symptoms and 14.6% showing signs of depression. Additionally, 34.9% of the infants (0–24 months) had crying and/or sleeping difficulties, whereas emotional and behavioral problems were observed in 10.4% of the toddlers (2–4 years) and 8.7% of the pre- and primary schoolers (˃ 4 years). Economic inflation was perceived as stressful or very stressful for 59.3% of parents, with radicalization and social division (49.3%), the Russia–Ukraine War (37.9%), and the climate crisis (31.8%) also cited as sources of stress. For 31.6% of families, the lingering effects of the pandemic continued to be a (major) burden. Across all age groups, children's mental health issues and societal challenges were the primary predictors of parenting stress. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between the duration of external childcare and parenting stress among parents with toddlers and pre- and primary schoolers. Conclusion Our study underscores that psychosocial stressors for families with children remain pronounced even postpandemic and, in some cases, have intensified compared with the peak of the pandemic. Moreover, our findings highlight the impact of broader societal trends, such as economic inflation and social division, on family well-being. Addressing these stressors and promoting the mental health of infants while bolstering parental resilience by alleviating parenting stress should be key priorities for healthcare initiatives in the aftermath of COVID-19.