Child and caregiver mental health during COVID-19 (preprint)

There are urgent calls for research into the mental health consequences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe caregiver and child mental health over 12 months using Australias only nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional survey of caregivers with children (0-17 years). N=2020 caregivers in June 2020, N=1434 in September 2020, and N=2508 in July 2021 provided data. Caregivers rated their mental health (Kessler-6), and impacts of the pandemic on their own and their childrens mental health. Data were weighted using national distribution of age, gender, number of children, state/territory and neighbourhood-level disadvantage. Mental health measures worsened over time. There was an unequal distribution of impacts based on caregiver gender, child age and family socioeconomic characteristics. Negative impacts were more common with current or cumulative lockdown. The indirect impacts of COVID-19 are real and concerning. Mental health must be central to the immediate and ongoing pandemic responses for families and children. What is known about this topic?- The global evidence shows that, for general adult populations, psychological distress peaked in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic before appearing to rebound. - Less is known about long-term mental health consequences of living through the pandemic, especially for caregivers and children. There are urgent calls for research. - Due to low infection rates, Australias experience can provide insight into the mental health impacts of lockdown without the compounding direct harms of the virus. What this study adds- From June 2020 to July 2021, caregivers reported declining mental health and increasing negative mental health impacts of COVID-19 for themselves and their children. - There was an unequal distribution of mental health impacts based on caregiver gender, child age and family socioeconomic characteristics. - Lockdown (current or cumulative) was detrimental for caregivers and childrens mental health. Pandemic response and recovery planning must consider families mental health.

The impact of ongoing COVID-19 lockdown on family finances and mental health (preprint)

ObjectivesAustralias public health restrictions ( lockdown) in 2020 successfully contained the spread of COVID-19. These included a national initial lockdown (March-May), and ongoing lockdown (July-November) for metropolitan Victorian residents only. Australias experience offers an opportunity to assess impacts of lockdown on families with children, in the relative absence of disease morbidity and mortality. This study (1) described the experience of initial lockdown and (2) evaluated the impact of ongoing lockdown, on family finances and mental health. MethodsData were drawn from the June and September 2020 Royal Childrens Hospital National Child Health Polls. Caregivers of children from the states of Victoria and New South Wales reported on job/income loss; material deprivation (inability to pay for essential items); income-poverty; mental health (Kessler-6); impact on caregiver/child mental health; and caregiver/child coping. Data from N=1207/902 caregivers in June/September were analyzed; Aim (1) with weighted descriptives; Aim (2) with Difference-in-Difference adjusted linear regression models (New South Wales provided the comparator). ResultsFollowing initial lockdown, one-quarter of families reported job/income loss; one-third reported material deprivation. Negative impacts on mental health were reported for half the caregivers and one-third of children. Few caregivers or children had difficulties coping. During Victorias ongoing lockdown, job/income loss increased by 11% (95%CI: 3-18%); Kessler-6 poor mental health by 6% (95%CI: 0.3-12%) and negative mental health impacts by 12% for caregivers (95%CI: 6-23%) and 14% for children (95%CI: 4-20%). Female (versus male) caregivers, metropolitan (versus regional/rural) families, and families with elementary school-aged children (versus pre-/high-school) were most affected. ConclusionsOngoing lockdown had negative impacts on mental health, employment, and income, but not deprivation or poverty, likely because of the government income supplements introduced early in the pandemic. Balancing the benefits and harms of lockdown requires planned responses to outbreaks, and evidence-informed financial and mental health supports.