Associations of parenting daily hassles with parents' mental health during the COVID-19 school closure

Shifeng Li; Qiongying Xu; Jing Xie; Lei Wang; Huining Li; Li Ma; Ruixue Xia

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115301

Associations of parenting daily hassles with parents' mental health during the COVID-19 school closure

Soc Sci Med. 2022 Oct:311:115301. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115301. Epub 2022 Aug 29.

Authors

Shifeng Li¹, Qiongying Xu², Jing Xie³, Lei Wang⁴, Huining Li⁵, Li Ma⁶, Ruixue Xia⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu, Lanzhou, China. Electronic address: lishifeng1988@126.com.
² School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu, Lanzhou, China. Electronic address: xuqiongying@nwnu.edu.cn.
³ Experimental Kindergarten of Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China.
⁴ Primary School Affiliated to Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China.
⁵ Dunhuang Road Primary School, Lanzhou, China.
⁶ Qilihe Primary School, Lanzhou, China.
⁷ School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu, Lanzhou, China.

Abstract

Rationale: Parenting is a demanding task associated with parents' mental health, which is likely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The present study investigated daily parenting hassles and their effects on parents' mental health during this period.

Methods: A total of 7314 parents with children aged 3-14 years old completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and reported on their perceived daily parenting hassles, mental health, family support, and co-parenting during the COVID-19 school closure.

Results: Most parents (73.4%) showed different degrees of daily hassles, and a relatively higher prevalence of depression (18.7%), anxiety (22.4%), and stress (12.1%) were found. Motherhood, parents' younger ages, lower education parents, job loss, and having younger children, boys, and multiple children were associated with elevated daily parenting hassles and mental health issues. Importantly, daily parenting hassles were uniquely associated with mental health problems after controlling for various sociodemographic characteristics, family support, and co-parenting. Furthermore, family support and co-parenting can attenuate daily parenting hassles, which, in turn, protect parents' mental health.

Conclusions: The findings of the present study underscore the critical need to consider daily parenting hassles and their effects on the mental health of parents during the COVID-19 lockdown. The present study also outlines potential factors (family support and co-parenting) that attenuate parents' daily parenting hassles and protect their mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coparenting; Daily parenting hassles; Family support; Mental health.