Screen use and internet addiction among parents of young children: A nationwide Canadian cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the factorial structure and internal consistency of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in parents, the level and correlates of problematic internet use, and patterns and types of screen use. STUDY DESIGN: Data were collected through an online questionnaire about preconception health among Canadian women and men with ≥1 child. The questionnaire included the IAT and questions about time spent on screens by device type, use of screens during meals and in the bedroom, and perceptions of overuse. Factor analysis was completed to determine the factorial structure of the IAT, with multivariable linear regression used to determine correlates of the IAT. RESULTS: The sample included 1,156 respondents (mean age: 34.3 years; 83.1% female). The IAT had two factors: "impairment in time management" and "impairment in socio-emotional functioning" of which respondents had more impairment in time management than socio-emotional functioning. Based on the original IAT, 19.4% of respondents would be classified as having a mild internet use problem with 3.0% having a moderate or severe issue. In the multivariable model, perceived stress (b = .28, SE = .05, p < .001) and depressive symptoms (b = .24, SE = .10, p = .017) were associated with higher IAT scores. Handheld mobile devices were the most common type of screen used (mean = 3 hours/day) followed by watching television (mean = 2 hours/day). CONCLUSION: Parents spent a significant portion of their time each day using screens, particularly handheld mobile devices. The disruption caused by mobile devices may hinder opportunities for positive parent-child interactions, demonstrating the need for resources to support parents ever-growing use of technologies.

A Pandemic Leadership Program for Managers to Enhance Staff Resiliency and Psychological Safety during COVID-19.

The Public Health Branch of the Regional Municipality of York created a specialized team to ensure a people-centred approach for the deployment of the workforce during COVID-19. Due to increasing stress and staff burnout, there was an apparent need for enhanced leadership supports that would expand the skills of managers to apply participative management competencies and resiliency strategies within their teams. A range of leadership development activities were designed that included ready-to-use actionable tools, best practice interventions for resiliency development and comprehensive initiatives, such as mentorship and debriefing. Benefits include manager capacity development resulting in improvements in organizational resilience and psychological safety.