Paternal Perinatal Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Framework Analysis of the Reddit Forum Predaddit

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new parents were disproportionately affected by public health restrictions changing service accessibility and increasing stressors. However, minimal research has examined pandemic-related stressors and experiences of perinatal fathers in naturalistic anonymous settings. An important and novel way parents seek connection and information is through online forums, which increased during COVID-19. The current study qualitatively analyzed the experiences of perinatal fathers from September to December 2020 through the Framework Analytic Approach to identify unmet support needs during COVID-19 using the online forum predaddit on reddit. Five main themes in the thematic framework included forum use, COVID-19, psychosocial distress, family functioning, and child health and development, each with related subthemes. Findings highlight the utility of predaddit as a source of information for, and interactions of, fathers to inform mental health services. Overall, fathers used the forum to engage with other fathers during a time of social isolation and for support during the transition to parenthood. This manuscript highlights the unmet support needs of fathers during the perinatal period and the importance of including fathers in perinatal care, implementing routine perinatal mood screening for both parents, and developing programs to support fathers during this transition to promote family wellbeing.

Changes in maternal substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: Maternal stress and mental health challenges have increased since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began. Experts are concerned about elevated substance use given its well-known association with negative emotions, but existing research has not examined substance use among mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a crucial next step to inform policy and service supports given links between maternal substance use and adverse family experiences. Method: Data were collected online between April 14 and 28, 2020. A total of 508 mothers (mean age = 34.8 years, SD = 5.1) with children 0-8 years old participated via the Parenting During the Pandemic study. Mothers self-reported substance use change and motivations for using substances, as well as mental health symptoms. Results: Of participating mothers, 54.9% did not change, 39.2% increased, and 5.9% decreased their substance use. Findings indicated that mothers with an anxiety disorder or elevated anxiety symptoms were more likely to report increased substance use during the pandemic. Using substances to cope with anxiety, depression, and boredom was elevated among mothers self-reporting increased substance use during the pandemic versus those reporting no change or a decrease in usage. Using substances to cope with anxiety was a risk factor for increased substance use. Conclusions: Many mothers have increased their substance use since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results highlight the need to treat maternal anxiety and the importance of teaching mothers coping strategies, other than using substances, to reduce the incidence of increased substance use among mothers and its negative sequelae. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Paternal Perinatal Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Framework Analysis of the Reddit Forum Predaddit.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, new parents were disproportionately affected by public health restrictions changing service accessibility and increasing stressors. However, minimal research has examined pandemic-related stressors and experiences of perinatal fathers in naturalistic anonymous settings. An important and novel way parents seek connection and information is through online forums, which increased during COVID-19. The current study qualitatively analyzed the experiences of perinatal fathers from September to December 2020 through the Framework Analytic Approach to identify unmet support needs during COVID-19 using the online forum predaddit on reddit. Five main themes in the thematic framework included forum use, COVID-19, psychosocial distress, family functioning, and child health and development, each with related subthemes. Findings highlight the utility of predaddit as a source of information for, and interactions of, fathers to inform mental health services. Overall, fathers used the forum to engage with other fathers during a time of social isolation and for support during the transition to parenthood. This manuscript highlights the unmet support needs of fathers during the perinatal period and the importance of including fathers in perinatal care, implementing routine perinatal mood screening for both parents, and developing programs to support fathers during this transition to promote family wellbeing.

Pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative examination of ways of coping.

The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health restrictions have impacted the mental health and coping strategies of many population groups, including people who are pregnant. Our study sought to explore the ways that pregnant people described coping with stressors associated with the pandemic. N = 5879 pregnant individuals completed the pan-Canadian Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic Survey between April and December 2020. We used descriptive statistics to quantify sociodemographic characteristics and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2019) to analyze n = 3316 open-ended text responses to the question "Can you tell us what things you are doing to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic?" The average age of participants was 32 years (SD = 4.4), with the majority identifying as White (83.6%), female (99.7%), married (61.5%), having completed post-secondary education (90.0%), and working full-time (75.4%). We categorized participant responses into two overarching thematic dimensions: (1) ways of coping and (2) coping challenges. Ways of coping included the following main themes: (1) taking care of oneself, (2) connecting socially, (3) engaging in pandemic-specific coping strategies, (4) keeping busy, (5) taking care of others, (6) creating a sense of normalcy, (7) changing perspectives, and (8) practicing spirituality. Coping challenges included the following: (1) the perception of coping poorly, (2) loss of coping methods, (3) managing frontline or essential work, and (4) worries about the future. Findings highlight important implications for targeted prenatal supports delivered remotely, including opportunities for social support, prenatal care, and mental health strategies.

Changes in Maternal Substance Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Maternal stress and mental health challenges have increased since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began. Experts are concerned about elevated substance use given its well-known association with negative emotions, but existing research has not examined substance use among mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a crucial next step to inform policy and service supports given links between maternal substance use and adverse family experiences. METHOD: Data were collected online between April 14 and 28, 2020. A total of 508 mothers (mean age = 34.8 years, SD = 5.1) with children 0-8 years old participated via the Parenting During the Pandemic study. Mothers self-reported substance use change and motivations for using substances, as well as mental health symptoms. RESULTS: Of participating mothers, 54.9% did not change, 39.2% increased, and 5.9% decreased their substance use. Findings indicated that mothers with an anxiety disorder or elevated anxiety symptoms were more likely to report increased substance use during the pandemic. Using substances to cope with anxiety, depression, and boredom was elevated among mothers self-reporting increased substance use during the pandemic versus those reporting no change or a decrease in usage. Using substances to cope with anxiety was a risk factor for increased substance use. CONCLUSIONS: Many mothers have increased their substance use since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results highlight the need to treat maternal anxiety and the importance of teaching mothers coping strategies, other than using substances, to reduce the incidence of increased substance use among mothers and its negative sequelae.

Family Factors Associated with Hands-On Play and Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Parent-child interactions are crucial for child development. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected mental health and increased parenting challenges impacting parent-child functioning. Objective: This study examined parent factors related to more and less enriching child activities during the pandemic through Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems framework. Methods: A convenience sample of parents (N = 708), primarily mothers (n = 610; 87.4%) aged 35.59 years old (SD = 5.59; range = 21-72), with children ages 2-8 years completed an online questionnaire between April 14-June 1, 2020. Participants mostly resided in Canada, had an income of > $100,000, and identified as White (82.4%). Parent-child activities were measured as total weekly time and combined time across activities within two categories: hands-on play and screen time. Bivariate correlations informed blockwise linear regression models. Results: For families with childcare needs, parental anxiety was associated with higher total hands-on play, combined hands-on play, and combined screen time. Families without childcare needs indicated parenting stress was associated with lower total hands-on play and combined hands-on play, and higher supervised screen time. Family structure and indices of socioeconomic status were also predictive of activities across childcare needs and child ages. Conclusions: To promote high-quality parent-child interactions and positive developmental outcomes during the pandemic, childcare needs and parent wellbeing should be supported, while evidence-based guidelines for child screen time should be further researched in this context.

Supporting families to protect child health: Parenting quality and household needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Supportive parenting is critical for promoting healthy child development in the face of stressors, such as those occurring during COVID-19. Here, we address a knowledge gap regarding specific household risk factors associated with parenting quality during the pandemic and incorporate first-person accounts of family challenges and needs. METHODS: Mixed methods were applied to data collected between April 14th - 28th, 2020 from the "Parenting During the Pandemic" survey. Participants included 656 primary caregivers (e.g., mothers, fathers, foster parents) of least one child age 1.5-8 years of which 555 (84.6%) responded to at least one parenting questionnaire. Parenting quality was assessed across stressful, negative, and positive parenting dimensions. Household risk was examined across pandemic- linked (e.g., caregiver depression, unmet childcare needs) and stable factors (i.e., annual income, mental illness history). Significant correlates were examined with regressions in Mplus. Thematic analysis identified caregiver challenges and unmet needs from open-ended questions. FINDINGS: Caregiver depression, higher child parity, unmet childcare needs, and relationship distress predicted lower-quality parenting. Caregiver depression was the most significant predictor across every parenting dimension, with analyses indicating medium effect sizes, ds = .39 - .73. Qualitative findings highlighted severe strains on parent capacities including managing psychological distress, limited social supports, and too much unstructured time. INTERPRETATIONS: Lower quality parenting during COVID-19 is associated with multiple household and pandemic risk factors, with caregiver depression consistently linked to parent- child relationship disruptions. Focused efforts are needed to address caregiver mental health to protect child health as part of the pandemic response.

Maternal psychological distress & mental health service use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Mental health problems are increasingly recognized as a significant and concerning secondary effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research on previous epidemics/pandemics suggest that families, particularly mothers, may be at increased risk, but this population has yet to be examined. The current study (1) described prevalence rates of maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms from an online convenience sample during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) identified risk and protective factors for elevated symptoms, and (3) described current mental health service use and barriers. METHODS: Participants (N = 641) were mothers of children age 0-8 years, including expectant mothers. Mothers completed an online survey assessing mental health, sociodemographic information, and COVID-19-related variables. RESULTS: Clinically-relevant depression was indicated in 33.16%, 42.55%, and 43.37% of mothers of children age 0-18 months, 18 months to 4 years, and 5 to 8 years, respectively. Prevalence of anxiety was 36.27%, 32.62%, and 29.59% for mothers across age groups, respectively. Binary logistic regressions indicated significant associations between risk factors and depression/anxiety across child age groups. LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional data was used to describe maternal mental health problems during COVID-19 limiting the ability to make inferences about the long-term impact of maternal depression and anxiety on family well-being. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal depression and anxiety appear to be elevated in the context of COVID-19 compared to previously reported population norms. Identified risk factors for depression and anxiety across different child age ranges can inform targeted early intervention strategies to prevent long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family well-being and child development.