Parenting practices and interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: an exploratory cross-sectional study of caregivers in Brazil, Mexico, and the United States

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic led countries' governments to rapidly establish lockdowns and social distancing, which altered family routines and the quality of family relationships worldwide. Objectives This exploratory cross-sectional study aimed to identify the impacts of the social distancing and lockdown in parenting practices of caregivers from Brazil, Mexico, and the USA, and to analyze the continuity of parenting intervention support for children and their families at the beginning of the pandemic in these countries. Methods The sample consisted of 704 caregivers of children (286 from Brazil, 225 from Mexico, and 193 from the USA) who answered an online survey about parenting practices before/after quarantine, caregiver/child routines, feelings related to quarantine, changes in everyday life since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, contact with health professionals, and sources of parenting information. Results Data indicate that caregivers from the three countries experienced similar parenting practices during this time, and did not report significant changes before and after the lockdown. They sought information about parenting predominantly via social media. Those receiving previous mental health care perceived the transition from in-person to telehealth services during the pandemic as feasible and acceptable. Conclusion This study will be helpful for clinicians and parents to contextualize their practices amid long-standing effects that the COVID-19 pandemic can have on children and their families during and post-pandemic from multiple cultural backgrounds.

Terapia infantil e treino de pais em um caso de agressividade / Child therapy and parent training in a case of aggressiveness

A Análise do Comportamento na Clínica explica o desenvolvimento e manutenção do comportamento em função de fatores ambientais históricos e atuais. No caso dos atendimentos infantis, a participação dos pais é indispensável, pois eles fazem parte do contexto e oferecem consequências para os comportamentos da criança. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito do treino de pais e de uma intervenção comportamental em padrões comportamentais agressivos de uma criança. Participaram da terapia um garoto de 9 anos e seus pais. A queixa principal estava relacionada a comportamentos agressivos da criança e seus pais receberam orientações para a solução dos comportamentos-problema. Foi observada mudança no contexto familiar e, consequentemente, nos comportamentos do cliente. A emissão dos comportamentos inadequados diminuiu de frequência e o garoto passou a emitir novos comportamentos adequados. Tais resultados indicaram a importância do manejo ambiental no qual a criança estava inserida para que seus comportamentos se modificassem.

Clinical Behavior Analysis explains the development and maintenance of behavior through historical and actual environmental variables. With regard to children’s care, the participation of parents is extremely important because they are part of the frame of reference and present congruity for children’s behavior. This case study aimed to evaluate the effect of parental training and behavior intervention in the child’s aggressive behavioral patterns. A nine-year-old boy and his parents underwent treatment. The major complaint was the child’s aggressive behavior and therefore his parents were trained to solve the child’s behavior problems. Changes in the family context, and consequently the client’s behavior, were observed. The frequency of inappropriate behavior decreased and the boy started showing new, appropriate behavior. Such results indicate the importance of changing the child’s environment in order to achieve the desired modification in behavior.