The Impact of COVID-19 on Parent and Child Well-Being in Early Childhood

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Project Summary The COVID-19 pandemic has changed nearly every aspect of life. Research is beginning to document the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on parents and children; however, much of the research does not assess the multi-dimensional nature of the pandemic, evaluate long-term outcomes, or measure multiple indices of well-being. In response to NOT-MH-21-330 (“Social, Behavioral, and Economic Impact of COVID-19 in Underserved and Vulnerable Populations”), our team of experts in parenting, family well-being, risk and protective factors, and resilience, proposes to examine how parent and child well-being has been influenced by the pandemic. In addition, we propose to leverage and expand upon data from a prospective, longitudinal study (“Infant Growth and Development Study”, R01HD093662; R01HD110470 pending; PI: Leerkes) of 299 women and their infants, followed from pregnancy until children were 3.5 years old. We will recontact mothers when children are 4 years old and conduct a timeline follow-back interview with mothers and coparents about their COVID-related experiences to investigate how COVID has impacted parents’ and children’s well-being over time. Our three Specific Aims will examine: (1) how COVID-related experiences (both stressors and supports) impacted parent and child well-being across multiple dimensions during early childhood; (2) racial/ethnic and household income disparities in the impact of COVID-related stressors across multiple dimensions of well-being and potential protective factors (i.e., social support, supportive coparenting, neighborhood quality); and (3) how timing of COVID-related stressors and supports influences parent and child well-being. Parent outcomes will include social strain, positive parenting, economic strain, and physical and mental health. Child outcomes will include socioemotional adjustment, pre-academic skills, and health. Data will be assessed via parent report and interviewer observations. The proposal addresses critical knowledge gaps including: an exclusive focus on negative COVID experiences, a focus on single or narrow domains of parent and child well-being during the pandemic, and a lack of attention to heterogeneity in the impacts of the pandemic across families. Results will have important implications for understanding which parents and children need the most support in the current pandemic, as well as informing prevention and intervention programs aiming to promote parent and child well-being in future pandemics.