Identified protective factors to support psychological well-being among gender diverse autistic youth

Literature has discussed the intersectionality between autism and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) identities. Research has also identified the importance of protective factors, which are experiences that enhance positive outcomes in the face of potentially negative experiences. This exploratory quantitative survey study seeks to identify school and community-based protective factors that relate to psychological well-being and life satisfaction among 31 TGD Autistic youths between the ages of 13 to 17. The authors utilized adapted and full-forms of validated measures including the KID-SCREEN 27, Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Survey Peabody Treatment Progress Battery, Adolescent Resilience Questionnaire, Perceived Coronavirus Threat Questionnaire, and Autism-Spectrum Quotient. Results suggest that community connectedness, school support, family availability, and self-identification of sexual orientation as queer were identified as protective factors. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of LGBT Youth is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

University Students' Viewpoints: A Coping Mechanism amid the Covid-19 Pandemic

The crisis we encounter in the global community is paramount to all species of social interaction. COVID-19, previously known as 2019 nCoV has devastated our day-to-day lives from our financial capability to our emotional condition. According to Rubin and Wessely (2020), the widespread contagion will inevitably have a psychological effect. This study aims to explore the different coping mechanisms among university students with the current global crisis, determine the significant difference of coping among gender preferences, and identify to what extent university students have been able to cope. Data was collected through a researcher-made survey questionnaire and an instrument adapted from Carver (1997). The survey was administered to university students. Students who responded and gave their consent were included in the study. Based on the results, the top five coping strategies that the students use as per experience are "listening to music", "sleeping", "social media", "movie/Netflix", and "online games". However, it is also notable that none of the students believed that using "prohibited drugs" or "substance use" is an option in coping with this pandemic. Moreover, there is no significant difference in coping among gender preferences which implies that regardless of your gender preference, orientation, and identity, all want to deal with their problems, hardships, or stresses in life. Hence, diverting one's attention to other things somehow is the students' best way of coping, armoured with positivity and faith.

Understanding the Role of Formal and Informal Support Resources for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This research examines the extent to which parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perceive support resources to be available, accessible, and/or effective in supporting their needs. A focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the availability and effectiveness of service delivery is included. A total of 35 parents in Ontario, Canada with a child aged 6-17 with ASD completed an online survey responding to questions about involvement in ASD services, use of formal and informal supports, important support needs, which needs were being met, and perceptions of unmet needs, all which were thematically analysed. The analysis demonstrates that parents experience multiple barriers in accessing supports, particularly from formal sources. Further, the barriers were heightened during the pandemic particularly in relation to the multiple role responsibilities that parents had to take on due to a discontinuity of support provision. Most of these parents put their own support needs aside to focus on their child, with the support their child receives directly relating to the ability to attend to their own needs. Parents identified challenges related to uncertain funding, limits of a one-size-fits-all model of support, and lengthy waitlists. Recommendations for family-centred care and the need for service coordinators to work with families to assist in navigating the complex support system are provided.

Family lives during the COVID-19 pandemic in European societies: Introduction to the Special Issue

Objective: This chapter introduces the reader to the Special Issue "Family Lives during the COVID-19 Pandemic in European Societies". Background: This Special Issue analyses how families, parents, and children have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they have been coping with its related challenges in different societal contexts. Method: The studies collected in this Special Issue are based on qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods approaches and data that have been gathered during 2020 in a range of European countries. It covers the first lockdown period, the reopening phases, and the months thereafter. Results: The 20 contributions of this Special Issue show that families shouldered large responsibilities during the pandemic. While the pandemic did not lead to radical shifts in gendered care patterns, mothers and fathers experienced the pandemic differently, with mothers reporting higher levels of stress. Moreover, there was great heterogeneity in how different types of families and children were affected by the pandemic. Single parents and parents and children in low-income households were most strongly affected in their social and economic wellbeing. Social and economic distress are strongly interwoven, and the developments during the pandemic aggravated existing social disparities. Conclusion: This Special Issue underlines the importance of the family for the functioning of societies during times of crisis. It also shows that policy makers often adopted a too narrow view of what constitutes a family and did not adequately address family diversity in their decision making. This Special Issue furthermore emphasized that there is a danger that the pandemic will increase disparities between families. Thus, parents and their children need adequate support measures that are tailored to their needs, and that are designed to alleviate these social, economic and educational disparities.

Linking Ages-un/doing age and family in the Covid-19 Pandemic

Objective: In this paper we ask how and through which social practices age and family are relationally being un/done in the course of the pandemic in Germany, and how these un/doings shape, shift or even break intergenerational relations. Background: The spread of the coronavirus and the attempts of governments to slow it down are severely affecting livelihoods worldwide. The institutionalised ageism underlying these government measures affects the youngest and oldest in society in particular (Ayalon et al. 2020;van Dyk et al. 2020). Intergenerational relations of social reproduction enacted, inter alia, through practices of eldercare, grandparenting, or voluntary work, are significantly limited in the current pandemic, as older adults are framed as an 'at-risk group', children as 'silent transmitters', and young adults as a 'risky group' (Ayalon et al. 2020;Stokes & Patterson 2020). These constructions contribute to the constitution, stabilisation and 'doing' of age in the pandemic. Method: We present findings from longitudinal research that was conducted through qualitative, problem-centred interviews between March 2020 and February 2021 with persons of different ages living in different household and care constellations in Germany. Results: Whereas in non-pandemic times doing age can be constitutive for doing family - as a constellation traditionally perceived to comprise multiple generations - we see the opposite happening in the pandemic: as age-based government measures to contain the spread of the virus limit intergenerational relations, older adults face the risk of being excluded from families. Hence, doing age can lead to a redoing or even an undoing of family. Conclusion: The paper outlines the potential of a 'linking ages' approach for the study of family lives and of intergenerational relations in times of crises.

Income, ethnic diversity and family life in East London during the first wave of the pandemic: an assets approach

Objective: This paper reports first results from a survey of 992 parents and parents to be living in an ethnically diverse and socio-economically unequal borough of East London during the coronavirus pandemic that reduced mobility, closed services and threatened public health. Background: Little is known about the place based impacts of the pandemic on families with young children. We describe the living circumstances of families with children under five or expecting a baby living in Tower Hamlets during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, and then examine the relative importance of household characteristics such as ethnicity and household income for adverse impacts on survey respondents, as seen in mental health outcomes. Method: a community survey sample recruited with support from the local council comprised 75% mothers/pregnant women, 25% fathers/partners of pregnant women. Reflecting the borough population, 35 percent were White British or Irish and 36 percent were Bangladeshi, and the remainder were from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. Adopting an assets based approach, we describe material, familial and community assets using three household income bands and seven ethnic groups. We then use regressions to identify which assets were most important in mitigating adversity. Results: We find that material assets (income, employment, food insecurity, housing quality) were often insecure and in decline but familial assets (home caring practices, couple relationships) were largely sustained. Community assets (informal support, service provision) were less available or means of access had changed. Our analyses find that while descriptively ethnicity structured adverse impacts of the pandemic related changes to family life, income and couple relationships were the most important assets for mitigating adversity as seen in mental health status. Conclusion: Supporting family assets will require close attention to generating local and decent work as well as enhancing access to community assets.

Families facing the Italian lockdown: Temporal adjustments and new caring practices in shared physical custody arrangements

Objective: This paper investigates the impact of the 2020 Covid-19 related Spring Lockdown in Italy on families practicing shared physical custody (SPC) arrangements for their children. Background: Those family configurations partly challenge the dominant 'mother as main carer model' that characterizes Italian society. Here, we consider the lockdown as a "challenge-trial" (Martucelli 2015) to analyze the strategies that these families have developed to cope with lockdown, and to reveal the overarching structures that contributed to shape this experience of lockdown. Method: We draw on semi-structured interviews with 19 parents (9 fathers and 10 mothers), part of 12 families practicing SPC. Results: We propose a typology of custody re-organizations during lockdown and how this affected the division of parental involvement based on a) change/no change in sleepover calendars in favor of mother/father;and b) similar/different arrangements for siblings - a new practice that emerged and also has implications for the division of childcare between parents. Four types are identified where we emphasize new parenting practices and the role played by material housing configurations, relations and tensions between family members, as well as balancing work, school and childcare. Conclusion: We highlight the usefulness of applying a "challenge-trial" lens to the study of family life under lockdown, and the need to complexify research on gender equality in shared parenting and on sibling relationships in post-divorce families.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment situation and financial well-being of families with children in Austria: Evidence from the first ten months of the crisis

Objective: This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment situation of parents and in turn on the subjective financial well-being of families with children in Austria. Background: The pandemic had strong repercussions on the Austrian labour market. The short-time work (STW) programme covered a third of employees in the first half of 2020 and helped to maintain employment levels. We provide evidence on how an unprecedented labour market crisis of this sort and in particular the exceptionally wide use of STW had affected the employment situation of parents and the financial well-being of different types of families. Method: The study draws on register data and representative panel survey data. The latter cover 905 families with minor children and include information on the employment situation of parents and the financial well-being of families before crisis onset, three months and ten months after its onset. Results: Register data show that mothers were not more strongly affected by the labour market crisis of 2020 than childless women or fathers. According to survey data, about a third of couples with minor children experienced income losses. Despite the wide use of STW and government support to families, the share of families in financial difficulties has substantially increased, especially among those with many children and single parents, many of whom were at risk of poverty already before the crisis. Conclusion: Substantial shares of dual-earner families that had low poverty risks before the crisis were in financial difficulties in 2020. Potential spill-over effects of financial shocks on children are discussed.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young adults experiencing dual family life after high-conflict divorce

Objective: This paper describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the family lives of young adults whose parents had been through a high-conflict divorce and the extent to which these 18-to-30-year-olds believed the COVID-19 measures accommodated for their family situation. Background: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family lives has been described in recent literature but no attention has been paid to young adults experiencing parental conflict due to a divorce transition impasse. Method: Data from 24 in-depth interviews were collected in the Belgian province of Limburg using a semi-structured interview guide with open questions and analysed via Nvivo. Results: Frequency of contact with parents decreased, contact with parents living abroad became nearly impossible. Different interpretations of and approaches to the rules led to frustration and quarrelling in families. The quality of the relationship with parents changed, often in a negative way. Respondents indicated that to their opinion due consideration had not been given to the situation of young adults with divorced parents. Conclusion: In order to adequately develop COVID-19 rules that are tailored to a wide range of families, with attention to the most vulnerable ones, we recommend that policy makers define a family by using a "feeling family paradigm" rather than defining a family in terms of a household and that they include a multi-actor and multi-disciplinary perspective in the decision-making processes.

Children's well-being and intra-household family relationships during the first COVID-19 lockdown in France

Objective: This article explores the consequences of the first COVID-19 lockdown in the spring of 2020 in France on intra-family relationships and 9-year-old children's socioemotional well-being. Background: On 17th March 2020, France began a strict lockdown to contain the COVID19 pandemic, with school closures and limited outings permitted until early June. All family routines and work-life arrangements were impacted. A major concern relates to how these measures impacted family and child well-being. Method: We use data from the Elfe Sapris survey, administered during the first lockdown to about 5,000 families participating to the Etude longitudinale francaise depuis l'enfance (Elfe), a nationally representative birth cohort of children born in 2011. We analysed correlations between parents' socioeconomic and living conditions on four relational indicators: the experience of lockdown, the quality of relationships between parents and children, and between siblings, and an indicator of children's socio-emotional well-being, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: The impact of the lockdown on family well-being was conditional on socioeconomic factors and their changes over the period. Deterioration of households' financial situation and having to work outside the home during lockdown was negatively correlated with family relationships and children's socio-emotional well-being. Conclusion: Overall, our results suggest that while France's first lockdown was a relatively positive period for many households with a primary-school-aged child, we highlight that restrictions exacerbated existing difficulties for disadvantaged families.

The division of child care during the coronavirus crisis in Germany: How did short-time work affect fathers' engagement?

Objective: This paper examines how participation in the short-time work scheme affected the gendered division of child care during the COVID-19 crisis in Germany. Background: Short-time work (Kurzarbeit) has been one of the main policies used to combat the economic and labour market repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic in Germany. We examine whether and, if so, how the growing prevalence of short-time work has affected care patterns. Method: We use data from the IAB-HOPP, a longitudinal study monitored by the German Institute for Employment Research (IAB). The analytical sample includes couples with children aged 12 and younger. We employ multinomial logistic regressions in which the outcome variable is the change in the division of care work from a period before to a period during the coronavirus crisis (June to October 2020). Results: We find that among men, receiving short-time work benefits resulted in more gender-equal care patterns. The positive effect of short-time work on the division of child care is moderated by the level of education. Fathers with low or medium education are more likely to increase their child care share when receiving short-time work benefits compared to fathers with high education. However, we also find that participating in the short-time work programme had no strong or significant effects on the gendered division of care among women. Conclusion: The evidence from this study suggests that men's working time is a major vehicle to change the gendered division of care in couple households.

Strengths and problems of families in contact with child protective services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: The study investigates the dynamics within families in contact with child protective services in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic as perceived by social workers. Based on the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) model, strengths and problems are outlined. Background: Following the first lockdown of public life in March 2020, concerns about children's well-being have been raised. Practitioners and scientists alike worried that particularly children in families with multiple problems would suffer severe abuse and neglect. However, it remains unclear how these families have actually been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Method: Child protection caseworkers from 40 child and youth welfare authorities across Germany were interviewed twice via telephone. The first interview was conducted during summer 2020, and the second interview two months later. Caseworkers were questioned about their professional experience in their daily work since March 2020. Moreover, they provided information on the perceived effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on families in contact with child protective services. Results: The interviews were analyzed using content analyses. Six overall challenges for families were identified. Families reacted differently to these. The caseworkers reported problems in families like increased parental conflict, media use, and alcohol consumption during the first lockdown. Nevertheless in some families, the caseworkers also perceived there to be less stress and tension during the lockdown in March 2020 due to fewer school requirements. Furthermore, some families were able to establish routines, activate resources, and find solutions for problems on their own. At the time of the second interview, some families' problems had increased, particularly regarding children's difficulties at school due to insufficient homeschooling. Conclusion: The results show that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on child protection families are positive and negative. Some are resourceful in the face of adversities, and others show an aggravation of problems. The results are discussed in light of findings on family dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic in other countries.

Workin' moms ain't doing so bad: Evidence on the gender gap in working hours at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: In this project, we study changes in the working hours of men and women with and without children in the early phase of the COVID-19 crisis in Germany until August 2020. Background: The COVID-19 outbreak in Europe led to a sharp decrease in economic activity, along with temporary closures of childcare facilities and schools. Subsequent changes in working hours in the early phase of the pandemic and during summer 2020 may have contributed to inequalities between men and women or parents and non-parents respectively. Method: We use a unique panel dataset containing monthly survey data of the Institute for Employment Research (the IAB-HOPP) combined with administrative data of the German Federal Employment Agency. We run regression models with the change in working hours (before the crisis vs. working time at each panel wave) as the dependent variable and gender, parental status, and childcare arrangement as the main independent variables. Results: We observe a comparable reduction in working hours for both men and women during the spring lockdown. However, only the working hours of women recover and return to their pre-crisis level in summer 2020. Most surprisingly, having children has an accelerating effect on recovery for mothers but not for fathers. At the end of the observation period, fathers do not recover as fully as mothers do. Conclusion: These results challenge concerns about a temporary or possibly persistent 'retraditionalisation' of gender roles during the COVID-19 crisis.

What will the coronavirus do to our kids? Parents in Austria dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their children

Objective: This study investigates parents' experiences in dealing with the potential negative effects of the pandemic on their offspring, and seeks to explicate (1) how parents have assessed their children's situations during the pandemic;(2) what challenges parents have experienced in accompanying their offspring through the crisis;and (3) what strategies parents have developed for helping their children cope with the effects of the pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying protection measures have placed heavy demands on parents and their children. Both groups have been shown to experience stress, as families have been forced to adjust their daily routines under rapidly changing circumstances. Method: Data are based on an Austrian qualitative longitudinal study, relying on interviews and diary entries of 98 parents of kindergarten-and school-aged children who have been contacted repeatedly since the first week of the first country-wide lockdown (nine waves of data collection between March and December 2020). Data analysis employs a combination of thematic analysis and the grounded theory coding scheme. Results: Results show that parents see the pandemic as having many detrimental effects, and very few positive effects, on their children's emotional, physical and social well-being as well as their educational performance. Parents have experienced a wide variety of challenges (explaining the pandemic and the measures;handling emotions;managing new roles;accompanying children through repeated adaptation processes). To deal with these challenges, respondents developed four distinct strategies (structure, cohesion, information, and independence). Conclusion: We conclude that parents are making substantial contributions to society, and are shouldering large burdens in accompanying their children through the crisis. However, their capacity to meet all of their children's needs is limited. Thus, to prevent the pandemic from having devastating long-term consequences, it is essential to provide sufficient support for children, parents, and families.

Resources of families adapting the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A mixed-method study of coping strategies and family and child outcomes

Objective: The aim of the present work is to analyse families' coping with the COVID-19 pandemic depending on available resources by examining the family as a cohesive system. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected families in several ways, with many studies reporting a decreased well-being of children and parents. How families cope with the new situation is dependent on family resources and personal resources. Method: A mixed-method approach combines data from an online survey (N = 11,512) and complementary qualitative interviews. The study was conducted in spring 2020 during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in Germany. The study analyses how familial and individual resources affect the family climate and child well-being. Results: The study uncovered that although structural conditions, processes within the family, and individual ressources, especially the mothers working situation, are relevant for the COVID-19 experience. Family processes are the essential factor for positive family well-being. However, these processes meet their limits if the pre-existing conditions in the families are unfavorable. Nonetheless, children are also capable of developing their coping strategies. Conclusion: Future studies should examine families and their available resources as a whole system and include the children's perspective.

Childcare, work or worries? What explains the decline in parents' well-being at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany?

Objective: We examine how care arrangements, general and altered working conditions, and worries influenced subjective well-being at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic for working parents in Germany. Background: Prior research suggests several reasons for declines in subjective well-being, particularly for working mothers. We employ Pearlin's (1989) stress process model to explore the role of parental childcare, altered working conditions and amplified worries of working parents in terms of increased stressors and modified resources to cope with the extraordinary situation. Method: We use data from two starting cohorts from the National Educational Panel Study and its supplementary COVID-19 web survey from spring 2020 to examine possible heterogeneities in contextual factors for individual-level changes in the well-being of working mothers and fathers. Results: We confirm a more pronounced decline in well-being for working mothers than fathers. Part-time work and access to emergency care reduce the gender gap in decreased well-being. Conversely, young children in the household and personal worries are associated with lower well-being for both parents. However, we cannot explain the more significant decrease in mothers' well-being by increased childcare responsibilities or altered working conditions. Conclusion: A greater decline in well-being indicates a particular burden among working mothers. However, it cannot be linked solely to gendered inequalities in the changes of paid and unpaid work during the first months of the pandemic.

Exploring COVID-19 lockdowns as unexpected paternity leave: One shock, diverse gender ideologies

Objective: This paper analyses how men who became fathers to a newborn during a 2020 lockdown in France reacted to spending longer time at home than intended. Background: Previous research found that fathers taking longer leave are more involved at home, but men who plan these working arrangements are more oriented towards gender equality. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, fathers with diverse gender ideologies were forced to stay home with their baby. Method: 42 longitudinal interviews were conducted with 23 fathers, before and after the birth of their child. 10 of these fathers unexpectedly stopped their paid work for the first two months post-partum because of distancing measures. This group is compared with 10 others who took at most their 14 days of paid leave before returning to paid work and 3 others who deliberately planned to take a month off. All mothers were on maternity leave. Results: Lockdowns isolated couples from the help of extended family and fathers had to assume a caregiving position. However, staying home involved different things for different fathers. For some, it meant sharing unpaid work equally. For others, it was more about bonding with the baby, whereas intensive childcare was considered the mother's role. Conclusion: Drawing on an integrative approach, the findings suggest that changes at the institutional level, such as lockdowns, impact fathering trajectories differently depending on gender ideologies at the individual level.

First-time motherhood and intergenerational solidarities during COVID-19

Objective: This study investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on intergenerational solidarities in Poland, specifically looking at flows between members of four family generations in the context of first-time motherhood. Background: Unlike other crises, which typically mean that family members rely on one another for support, the pandemic challenges the scope of family solidarities. Little is still known as to how families navigate the particular vulnerability of first-time mothers who might face obstacles in accessing family assistance during lockdowns. Method: The empirical material originates from a Qualitative Longitudinal Study (QLS) on transitions to motherhood in Poland (GEMTRA project, 2018-2021) and features case studies of intergenerational family triads (a first-time mother, her mother, and her grandmother). Two cases have been selected from a large pool of over 100 interviews conducted in two waves. Results: We argue that the crucial stage of family life reified in welcoming the first child serves as special grounds for examining how family support and intergenerational solidarities are maintained, altered, or prioritized during the COVID-19 pandemic. We demonstrate that distinct types of associational, affectual, consensual, functional, normative and structural solidarities are variably affected. Conclusion: We propose a new angle for identifying key support recipients within intergenerational solidarity flows in families during the crisis. Two directions of solidarity flows, towards younger and older generations, respectively, are presented.

Who suffered most? Parental stress and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

Objective: This study examines gender and socioeconomic inequalities in parental psychological wellbeing (parenting stress and psychological distress) during the COVID19 pandemic in Germany. Background: The dramatic shift of childcare and schooling responsibility from formal institutions to private households during the pandemic has put families under enormous stress and raised concerns about caregivers' health and wellbeing. Despite the overwhelming media attention to families' wellbeing, to date limited research has examined parenting stress and parental psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in Germany. Method: We analyzed four waves of panel data (N= 1,771) from an opt-in online survey, which was conducted between March 2020 and April 2021. Multivariable OLS regressions were used to estimate variations in the pandemic's effects on parenting stress and psychological distress by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Results: Overall, levels of parenting stress and psychological distress increased during the pandemic. During the first and third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, mothers, parents with children younger than 11 years, parents with two or more children, parents working from home as well as parents with financial insecurity experienced higher parenting stress than other sociodemographic groups. Moreover, women, respondents with lower incomes, single parents, and parents with younger children experienced higher levels of psychological distress than other groups. Conclusion: Gender and socioeconomic inequalities in parents' psychological wellbeing increased among the study participants during the pandemic.