Prevalence & Correlates of Intimate Partner Violence During COVID-19: A Rapid Review.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments enacted a range of public health measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. These measures resulted in school closures, social isolation, and job loss, which all contributed to increased psychosocial stress, particularly among families with pre-existing vulnerability factors. Given the relationship between increased psychosocial stress and intimate partner violence (IPV), this rapid review investigated change in the prevalence and correlates of IPV victimization during the first six months of the pandemic. PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane COVID-19 registry were reviewed. This search resulted in 255 unique results, of which 24 studies were included. There were 19 studies that examined changes in the rate of IPV from before the COVID-19 pandemic to during the pandemic. Of the studies examining changes in the rate of IPV, 11 found a significant increase. Key vulnerability factors contributing to the increase include low socioeconomic status, unemployment, a personal or familial COVID-19 diagnosis, family mental illness, or overcrowding. Six studies examined whether the presence of children in the home was associated with IPV, but the direction of this relationship was inconsistent. This review finds preliminary evidence of a relationship between COVID-19 induced stressors, pre-existing vulnerabilities, and increased IPV, which present important implications for policy and practice.

Latent Classes of Adverse and Benevolent Childhood Experiences in a Multinational Sample of Parents and Their Relation to Parent, Child, and Family Functioning during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are known to contribute to later mental health. Conversely, Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) may buffer against mental health difficulties. The importance of ACEs and BCEs for mental health of both parents and children may be most obvious during periods of stress, with potential consequences for functioning of the family. Subgroups of ACEs and BCEs in parents during the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated and validated in relation to indices of parent, child, and family well-being. In May 2020, ACEs/BCEs were assessed in 547 parents of 5-18-year-old children from the U.K., U.S., Canada, and Australia. Subgroups of parents with varying levels of ACEs and BCEs were identified via latent class analysis. The subgroups were validated by examining associations between class membership and indices of parent and child mental health and family well-being. Four latent classes were identified: low-ACEs/high-BCEs, moderate-ACEs/high-BCEs, moderate-ACEs/low-BCEs, and high-ACEs/moderate-BCEs. Regardless of the extent of BCEs, there was an increased risk of parent and child mental health difficulties and family dysfunction among those reporting moderate-to-high levels of ACEs. Parents' history of adversity may influence the mental health of their family. These findings highlight the importance of public health interventions for preventing early-life adversity.

Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the psychosocial functioning of children and families. It is important to consider adversity in relation to processes of positive adaptation. To date, there are no empirically validated multi-item scales measuring COVID-related positive adaptation within families. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a new measure: the Family Positive Adaptation during COVID-19 Scale (Family PACS). The sample included 372 female and 158 male caregivers (73% White-European/North American;median 2019 income = $50,000 to $74,999 USD) of children ages 5–18 years old from the United Kingdom (76%), the United States (19%), Canada (4%), and Australia (1%), who completed measures in May 2020. Participants responded to a 14-item survey indexing a range of perceived coping and adaptation behaviors at the beginning of the pandemic. An exploratory factor analysis yielded an optimal one-factor solution comprised of seven items related to family cohesion, flexibility, routines, and meaning-making (loadings from 0.44 to 0.67). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated measurement invariance across female and male caregivers, demonstrating that the factor structure, loadings, and thresholds did not vary by caregiver sex. There was evidence for concurrent validity with significant bivariate correlations between the Family PACS scores and measures of caregiver positive coping, parenting practices, couple satisfaction, and family functioning (correlations from 0.10 to 0.23), but not negatively-valenced constructs. Findings inform our conceptualization of how families have adapted to adverse pandemic-related conditions. Further, we provide preliminary support for the Family PACS as a practical tool for evaluating positive family adaptation during this global crisis, with implications for future widespread crises.

Keeping the Faith: Religion, Positive Coping, and Mental Health of Caregivers During COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in major stressors such as unemployment, financial insecurity, sickness, separation from family members, and isolation for much of the world population. These stressors have been linked to mental health difficulties for parents and caregivers. Religion and spirituality (R/S), on the other hand, is often viewed as promotive of mental health. However, the mechanisms by which R/S might promote mental health for parents during the pandemic remain unclear. Thus, this longitudinal study explores how R/S is associated with better caregiver mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic through higher levels of positive coping skills. A sample of N = 549 caregivers (parents and other adults in childrearing roles) across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia were recruited through the Prolific® research panel [67.8% female; age M = 41.33 years (SD = 6.33), 72.3% White/European]. Participants were assessed on measures of psychological distress, coping, R/S, and COVID-19 disruption at three time points between May and November 2020. Cross-lagged panel analysis revealed that caregiver coping mediated the relationship between caregiver R/S and caregiver mental health. Findings highlight a mechanism through which R/S naturally conveys a mental health benefit during periods of social disruption, which may provide an important target for public health promotion and clinical intervention.

COVID-19 disruption gets inside the family: A two-month multilevel study of family stress during the pandemic.

Developmental research during COVID-19 suggests that pandemic-related disruptions in family relationships are associated with children's mental health. Most of this research has focused on 1 child per family, thereby obfuscating patterns that are differentially operative at the family-wide (i.e., between-family) versus child-specific (i.e., within-family) levels of analysis. Thus, the current study evaluates multilevel, longitudinal associations between COVID-19 disruption, family relationships, and caregiver/child mental health using a sibling comparison methodology. Caregivers (N = 549 families with 1098 children between 5 and 18 years old) were recruited from the Prolific research panel (73% White-European; 68% female; 76% United Kingdom, 19% U.S.A.; median 2019 income $50,000-$74,999). Caregiver reports of COVID-19 disruption, psychological distress, family functioning, parenting, and child mental health (for 2 children per family) were provided during May (time 1) and July (time 2) 2020. A Bayesian multilevel path analysis with random effects revealed: (a) families were experiencing difficulties across domains when COVID-19 disruption was high; (b) COVID-19 disruption corresponded to greater sibling differences in mental health; and (c) the sibling with poorer mental health received lower quality parenting over time, especially in families who reported higher levels of differential parenting. Findings suggest that understanding children's mental health difficulties during COVID-19 requires a family system lens due to the multiple ways these consequences permeate across the family unit. Comprehensive interventions for children's mental health during this time will likely require an examination of caregiver, sibling, and whole-family dynamics in the context of evidence-based telehealth practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The COVID-19 Family Stressor Scale: Validation and Measurement Invariance in Female and Male Caregivers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised significant concerns regarding the effect of social disruptions on parental mental health, family well-being, and children's adjustment. Due to the pace of the pandemic, measures of pandemic-related disruption have not been subject to rigorous empirical validation. To address this gap, a multi-national sample (United Kingdom, 76%; United States, 19%; Canada, 4%, and Australia, 1%) of 372 female caregivers and 158 male caregivers of 5-18-year-old children was recruited online. Participants completed a survey including a 25-item scale indexing disruption in finances, basic needs, personal and family welfare, career/education, household responsibilities, and family relationships related to the pandemic. An exploratory factor analysis yielded an optimal three-factor solution: factors included Income Stress (five items related to income, debt, and job loss; loadings ranged from 0.57 to 0.91), Family Stress (seven items related to family altercations and child management; loadings from 0.57 to 0.87), and Chaos Stress (four items related to access to supplies, crowded shopping areas, news coverage; loadings from 0.53 to 0.70). Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated measurement invariance of each factor across female and male caregivers, indicating that factor structure, loadings, and thresholds were equivalent across groups. Composites reflective of each factor were computed, and Mann-Whitney U tests indicated that female caregivers consistently scored higher than male caregivers on COVID-19 stressors related to income, family, and chaos. Finally, concurrent validity was demonstrated by significant bivariate correlations between each scale and caregiver, family, and child outcomes, respectively. This demonstrates the validity of the COVID-19 Family Stressor Scale for use with female and male caregivers in family-based research. The current sample was predominantly White-European, married/common-law, and had at least some post-secondary education. Additional sampling and validation efforts are required across diverse ethnic/racial and socioeconomic groups.

Children's mental health problems during the initial emergence of COVID-19

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global health pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 on mental health has received widespread attention, but almost no longitudinal studies exist that examine changes in children's mental health during its initial emergence. Using a regression discontinuity natural experiment via a longitudinal cohort design, the present study examines trajectories of children's mental health from December 2019 to March 2020. Participants were 231 children (female n = 106 [45.8%];average age = 5.69, SD = 2.09) in 22 early childhood education classrooms across Toronto, Canada. Children's mental health was assessed via educator reports on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in gender-adjusted percentiles, with the Impairment Rating Scale serving as a secondary measure. Data were analyzed with 3-level (classroom, individual, and time) Markov Chain Monte Carlo estimation (MCMC) growth curve models. Of the three assessments conducted per child, many of the final assessments occurred formally after the pandemic announcement and prior to the closing of childcare centres. Results suggest that male children enrolled in early childhood education showed a modest decline in mental health problems prior to the pandemic announcement by the WHO. However, following the WHO announcement, male children's mental health problems worsened significantly. No post-pandemic differences over time were observed for females. This study provides the first longitudinal evidence in Canada of heightened risk to children's mental health during the early emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings support initiatives aimed at increasing access to mental health care for children during and after the pandemic, in addition to incorporating mental health in home and school based educational services. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (French) Le 11 mars 2020, l'Organisation mondiale de la sante (OMS) a classe au niveau de pandemie l'epidemie de COVID-19 qui s'etendait dans le monde entier. Les repercussions de la pandemie sur la sante mentale ont recu beaucoup d'attention, mais il existe tres peu d'etudes longitudinales examinant les changements dans la sante mentale des enfants depuis le debut. Au moyen d'une experience naturelle de discontinuite de la regression, dans le cadre de l'etude longitudinale d'une cohorte, la presente etude examine les trajectoires de la sante mentale d'enfants de decembre 2019 a mars 2020. Les participants etaient 231 enfants (filles, n = 106 [45,8 %];age moyen = 5,69, E.-T. = 2,09) de 22 classes de maternelle a Toronto, au Canada. La sante mentale des enfants a ete evaluee au moyen des rapports des educateurs, qui ont rempli le Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, avec les percentiles selon le genre, ainsi que la Impairment Rating Scale, comme deuxieme mesure. Les donnees ont ete analysees au moyen des modeles de courbes d'evolution a 3 niveaux (classe, individu et periode) de la methode de Monte-Carlo par chaine de Markov. Parmi les 3 evaluations pour chacun des enfants, nombre des dernieres ont ete realisees apres l'annonce de la pandemie et avant la fermeture des centres de la petite enfance. Selon les resultats, les garcons frequentant ces centres presentaient un faible declin au chapitre des problemes de sante mentale avant l'annonce de la pandemie par l'OMS. Toutefois, apres l'annonce de l'OMS, les problemes de sante mentale des garcons se sont grandement aggraves. Aucune difference n'a ete observee au fil du temps chez les fillettes post-pandemie. Cette etude constitue la premiere source de donnees longitudinales au Canada sur le risque accru pour la sante mentale des enfants durant les premiers temps de la pandemie de COVID-19. Les resultats appuient les initiatives visant a ameliorer l'acces aux soins de sante mentale pour les enfants durant et apres la pandemie, et a inclure la sante mentale dans les services d'education a domicile et a l'ecole. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement <strong xmlns:lang="en">Public Significance Statement-This study suggests that Canadian children's mental health problems, as reported by early childhood educators and leading up unto the childcare shutdown, increased during the early emergence of COVID-19, specifically for boys. Findings highlight the need for school-based mental health services, including support for teachers and early childhood educators, during the pandemic. Mental health services for children who have returned to school during COVID-19 remain a major priority, in addition to telehealth, home-based education, and parental supports for families who are keeping children at home. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Model-based projections for COVID-19 outbreak size and student-days lost to closure in Ontario childcare centres and primary schools.

There is a pressing need for evidence-based scrutiny of plans to re-open childcare centres during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we developed an agent-based model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission within a childcare centre and households. Scenarios varied the student-to-educator ratio (15:2, 8:2, 7:3), family clustering (siblings together versus random assignment) and time spent in class. We also evaluated a primary school setting (with student-educator ratios 30:1, 15:1 and 8:1), including cohorts that alternate weekly. In the childcare centre setting, grouping siblings significantly reduced outbreak size and student-days lost. We identify an intensification cascade specific to classroom outbreaks of respiratory viruses with presymptomatic infection. In both childcare and primary school settings, each doubling of class size from 8 to 15 to 30 more than doubled the outbreak size and student-days lost (increases by factors of 2-5, depending on the scenario. Proposals for childcare and primary school reopening could be enhanced for safety by switching to smaller class sizes and grouping siblings.

The disparate impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of female and male caregivers.

Caregiver mental health is crucial to the wellbeing of children. This is most apparent when caregivers face high levels of stress or life adversity. To study this phenomenon in the current global context, this study examined the relation between stress/disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic and the mental health of female and male caregivers. Pre-pandemic childhood adversity was considered as a moderator of this association. A multi-national sample (United Kingdom, 76%; United States, 19%; Canada, 4%, and Australia, 1%) was recruited in May 2020, of whom 348 female and 143 male caregivers of 5-18 year-old children provided data on the constructs of interest. At this time, caregivers reported on their history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and COVID stress/disruption. About two months later (July 2020) caregiver mental health was evaluated. We examined differences between female and male caregivers on ACEs, COVID stress/disruption, and mental health (distress, anxiety, substance use, and posttraumatic stress). Main and interactive effects of ACEs and COVID stress/disruption on each mental health outcome were examined. Female caregivers reported higher COVID stress/disruption, more ACEs, and greater distress, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to male caregivers. Among female caregivers, higher COVID stress/disruption and more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) independently predicted all mental health outcomes, consistent with a stress accumulation model. Among male caregivers, a pattern of interactions between COVID stress/disruption and ACEs suggested that the effects of COVID stress/disruption on mental health was stronger for those with higher ACEs, especially for substance use, consistent with a stress sensitization model. Higher levels of stress and mental health difficulties among female caregivers suggests a disproportionate burden due to pandemic-related disruption compared to male caregivers. Findings speak to the disparate effects of COVID-19 on the mental health of female compared to male caregivers, and the role of pre-existing vulnerabilities in shaping current adaptation.