Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study

Objectives In the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, school/child care closures and employment instability have created unprecedented conditions for families raising children at home. This study describes the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with childre...

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Autores principales:	Anne C Gadermann, Kimberly C Thomson, Chris G Richardson, Monique Gagné, Corey McAuliffe, Saima Hirani, Emily Jenkins
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	BMJ Publishing Group 2021
Materias:	Medicine R
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/69e9545e4d984522bca2bf16ebb62014
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:69e9545e4d984522bca2bf16ebb620142021-11-12T19:30:05ZExamining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study10.1136/bmjopen-2020-0428712044-6055https://doaj.org/article/69e9545e4d984522bca2bf16ebb620142021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttps://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/1/e042871.fullhttps://doaj.org/toc/2044-6055Objectives In the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, school/child care closures and employment instability have created unprecedented conditions for families raising children at home. This study describes the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with children in Canada.Design, setting and participants This descriptive study used a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of adults living in Canada (n=3000) to examine the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes among parents with children <18 years old living at home (n=618) were compared with the rest of the sample. Data were collected via an online survey between 14 May to 29 May 2020.Outcome measures Participants reported on changes to their mental health since the onset of the pandemic and sources of stress, emotional responses, substance use patterns and suicidality/self-harm. Additionally, parents identified changes in their interactions with their children, impacts on their children’s mental health and sources of support accessed.Results 44.3% of parents with children <18 years living at home reported worse mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with 35.6% of respondents without children <18 living at home, χ2 (1, n=3000)=16.2, p<0.001. More parents compared with the rest of the sample reported increased alcohol consumption (27.7% vs 16.1%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=43.8, p<0.001), suicidal thoughts/feelings (8.3% vs 5.2%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=8.0, p=0.005) and stress about being safe from physical/emotional domestic violence (11.5% vs 7.9%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=8.1, p=0.005). 24.8% (95% CI 21.4 to 28.4) of parents reported their children’s mental health had worsened since the pandemic. Parents also reported more frequent negative as well as positive interactions with their children due to the pandemic (eg, more conflicts, 22.2% (95% CI 19.0 to 25.7); increased feelings of closeness, 49.7% (95% CI 45.7 to 53.7)).Conclusions This study identifies that families with children <18 at home have experienced deteriorated mental health due to the pandemic. Population-level responses are required to adequately respond to families’ diverse needs and mitigate the potential for widening health and social inequities for parents and children.Anne C GadermannKimberly C ThomsonChris G RichardsonMonique GagnéCorey McAuliffeSaima HiraniEmily JenkinsBMJ Publishing GrouparticleMedicineRENBMJ Open, Vol 11, Iss 1 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R
spellingShingle	Medicine R Anne C Gadermann Kimberly C Thomson Chris G Richardson Monique Gagné Corey McAuliffe Saima Hirani Emily Jenkins Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
description	Objectives In the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation, school/child care closures and employment instability have created unprecedented conditions for families raising children at home. This study describes the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families with children in Canada.Design, setting and participants This descriptive study used a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of adults living in Canada (n=3000) to examine the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes among parents with children <18 years old living at home (n=618) were compared with the rest of the sample. Data were collected via an online survey between 14 May to 29 May 2020.Outcome measures Participants reported on changes to their mental health since the onset of the pandemic and sources of stress, emotional responses, substance use patterns and suicidality/self-harm. Additionally, parents identified changes in their interactions with their children, impacts on their children’s mental health and sources of support accessed.Results 44.3% of parents with children <18 years living at home reported worse mental health as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with 35.6% of respondents without children <18 living at home, χ2 (1, n=3000)=16.2, p<0.001. More parents compared with the rest of the sample reported increased alcohol consumption (27.7% vs 16.1%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=43.8, p<0.001), suicidal thoughts/feelings (8.3% vs 5.2%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=8.0, p=0.005) and stress about being safe from physical/emotional domestic violence (11.5% vs 7.9%, χ2 (1, n=3000)=8.1, p=0.005). 24.8% (95% CI 21.4 to 28.4) of parents reported their children’s mental health had worsened since the pandemic. Parents also reported more frequent negative as well as positive interactions with their children due to the pandemic (eg, more conflicts, 22.2% (95% CI 19.0 to 25.7); increased feelings of closeness, 49.7% (95% CI 45.7 to 53.7)).Conclusions This study identifies that families with children <18 at home have experienced deteriorated mental health due to the pandemic. Population-level responses are required to adequately respond to families’ diverse needs and mitigate the potential for widening health and social inequities for parents and children.
format	article
author	Anne C Gadermann Kimberly C Thomson Chris G Richardson Monique Gagné Corey McAuliffe Saima Hirani Emily Jenkins
author_facet	Anne C Gadermann Kimberly C Thomson Chris G Richardson Monique Gagné Corey McAuliffe Saima Hirani Emily Jenkins
author_sort	Anne C Gadermann
title	Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
title_short	Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
title_full	Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
title_fullStr	Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
title_full_unstemmed	Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
title_sort	examining the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic on family mental health in canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study
publisher	BMJ Publishing Group
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/69e9545e4d984522bca2bf16ebb62014
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Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study

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