More COVID research

I don’t bother with most COVID research I see because it is so often obvious. Today, I look at three studies I found interesting for very different reasons. The first one is a correction so it’s presented oddly, but the abstract itself is worth reading. “Correction to ‘Parenting young children during COVID-19: Parenting stress trajectories, parental mental health, and child problem behaviors’ by Aviles et al. (2024)” in Journal of Family Psychology. Here’s the edited abstract:

Reports an error in "Parenting young children during COVID-19: Parenting stress trajectories, parental mental health, and child problem behaviors" by Ashleigh I. Aviles, Sophia K. Betar, Sarah M. Cline, Ziyu Tian, Deborah B. Jacobvitz and Jody S. Nicholson (Journal of Family Psychology, 2024[Mar], Vol 38[2], 296-308). In the original article, there were some errors. Corrections have been made in the Abstract sentence, first paragraph of the main text, the beginning of the first sentence of the Parenting Stress subsection in the Method section, and the start of the first sentence of the Depressive Symptoms subsection. The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2024-45266-001). Parenting stress reflects a discrepancy between a parent’s perception of their resources, the demands of their child’s needs, and the caregiving relationship and contexts (Abidin, 1992). Parenting stress can increase the risk of issues in the parent–child relationship, as well as child behavioral and emotional outcomes (Neece et al., 2012; Spinelli et al., 2021). Chronic stressors, such as living through the COVID-19 pandemic, have the potential to increase the demands of parenting and thus parenting stress. Using latent growth curve modeling, we examined parenting stress trajectories of 298 American parents with young children (Mage = 15.02 months, range = 1–34 months) over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also examined the effects of parental mental health on parenting stress, and the effects of parental mental health and parenting stress on child problem behaviors using data gathered through the Prolific survey platform. Parental mental health, measured by depressive symptoms Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale−10, anxiety symptoms Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), and overall stress levels 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, was related to higher initial parenting stress index–short form. Changes in parenting stress over time were linked with higher levels of children’s problem behaviors (CBCL). Child temperament was also related to initial parenting stress. Lower levels of household income were linked with higher levels of parental mental health symptoms and higher rates of parenting stress increases over time. These results highlight the importance of considering the well-being of all family members in child outcomes, and the ways in which different experiences and resources during the COVID-19 pandemic affect parental and child well-being.

The last sentence is perhaps the most important in highlighting the complex interactions between and among child temperament, parenting stress, and child problem behavior. The next study looks at children on the autism spectrum. Feather, Lindly, Persinger, Maranville & Kaur (2024) published “Impact of COVID-19 on Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Living in the Rural Regions of Arizona” in Journal of Rural Mental Health. Here are the edited abstract and impact statements:

Little is known about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to services used by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in rural areas. This study examined COVID-19 impacts on services used for children with ASD in rural Northern Arizona using a parent-reported, online survey (N = 49). Results showed that parents, on average, experienced moderate to severe disruption in their child’s ASD services due to COVID-19. The extent to which this disruption negatively impacted the child’s ASD was strongly correlated with the extent to which the parent felt stressed or overwhelmed, as well as the extent to which the child’s mental or emotional health was affected by COVID-19. Findings underscore the importance of ASD service continuity and continued innovations to meet this need in rural areas.

Findings highlight the profound impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on parents and children with autism residing in rural communities. Implications underscore the importance of attending to parental stress and well-being, targeted services such as parent-mediated interventions in the home, and a shift to increase care coordination efforts on the part of the provider to achieve public health impact. Additional implications for practice and future research are discussed. 

I thought this one could generalize to many other child disorders care for which was disrupted during COVID. Like the first article, it links parenting stress to child mental and emotional health and recommends interventions, especially in rural areas. The final study introduces a measure. Prati & Mancini (2023) published “Social and Behavioral Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Validation of a Pandemic Disengagement Syndrome Scale (PDSS) in four national contexts” in Psychological Assessment. The edited abstract and impact statements follow:

The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a self-report measure that investigates people’s general disengagement after the acute phases of the pandemic. Across three studies, we examined the psychometric features of the Pandemic Disengagement Syndrome Scale (PDSS) in four national contexts. In Study 1, we developed the instrument and investigated the factorial structure, internal consistency, measurement invariance across gender and countries (the United States and Italy), and discriminant validity. A bifactor model with two specific factors (Social Avoidance and Alienation) provided a better fit than the competing models. In Study 2, we tested the stability of the PDSS as well as its predictive validity. In Study 3, we conducted a quasi-experimental comparison between Norway and Sweden, to investigate whether scores on the PDSS are related to a markedly distinct approach to the pandemic in terms of mandatory lockdown. Overall, results from the three studies demonstrated that the PDSS is a valid and reliable measure of a syndrome of disengagement from others following a pandemic. 

This study is the first to validate a specific measure to assess a syndrome of disengagement from others following the acute phases of the pandemic. The findings of the study revealed that the Pandemic Disengagement Syndrome Scale is a psychometrically valid and reliable instrument. This measure could be used to help researchers and practitioners better understand the social and behavioral consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic among adults. 

This one was published last year so more information may become available. Unlike the first two studies, this one may be more helpful to professionals who work with individuals adversely impacted by COVID.