School of Medicine, University of Patras, Greece.
University of Nicosia, Cyprus.
Swiss Med Wkly. 2021 Aug 13;151(31-32). doi: 10.4414/SMW.2021.w30012.
It is well known that parenting stress is an important but often underestimated psychosocial variable. Data regarding the impact of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on parental psychology are currently lacking. The aim of the present study was to assess parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece. METHODS: An Internet e-survey was conducted adhering to CHERRIES guidelines of the EQUATOR network and released from 16 March to 22 March 2020, using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R). A convenience sample of 1105 Greek parents of children with or without chronic or severe underlying disorders was enrolled, identified by a network of collaborating paediatricians across the country, and invited via personal emails. RESULTS: The participation rate was 91.6% and the completion rate was 100%. A total of 178 (16.1%) of the participants had children with underlying disorders (198 affected children in total). Parents of children with underlying disorders had significantly higher stress levels than those of healthy children (PSS 21.22 ± 5.06 vs 19.02 ± 6.85, p <0.001; IES-R 40.71 ± 11.58 v. 35.86 ± 12.69, p <0.001), particularly those caring for children with cardiovascular or respiratory disorders, or immunodeficiencies. The presence of children with underlying disorders was a strong predictor of PSS and IES-R scores, independently of parental sex, age, education and place of residence. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of COVID-19 outbreak on parental stress is substantial, and those caring for children with underlying disorders are more profoundly affected. Pending the global socioeconomic rebooting after the pandemic, the possible short- and long-term consequences of parental stress should not be ignored. As for other vulnerable groups, accurate health information and resources for psychological support should be provided to parents, especially those caring for children with underlying disorders.
众所周知，育儿压力是一个重要但经常被低估的社会心理变量。目前缺乏关于 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）爆发对父母心理影响的数据。本研究旨在评估 COVID-19 大流行期间希腊的育儿压力。
本研究采用 CHERRIES 指南和 EQUATOR 网络的循证医学原则，于 2020 年 3 月 16 日至 22 日进行了一项互联网电子调查，使用了感知压力量表（PSS）和修订后的事件影响量表（IES-R）。通过全国合作的儿科医生网络，以方便抽样的方式招募了 1105 名有或没有慢性或严重基础疾病的儿童的希腊父母，并通过个人电子邮件邀请他们参加。
参与率为 91.6%，完成率为 100%。共有 178 名（16.1%）参与者的孩子有基础疾病（共有 198 名受影响的孩子）。与健康儿童相比，有基础疾病儿童的父母压力水平显著更高（PSS 21.22 ± 5.06 与 19.02 ± 6.85，p<0.001；IES-R 40.71 ± 11.58 与 35.86 ± 12.69，p<0.001），尤其是照顾心血管或呼吸系统疾病或免疫缺陷儿童的父母。有基础疾病儿童的存在是 PSS 和 IES-R 评分的一个强有力的预测因素，独立于父母的性别、年龄、教育程度和居住地。
COVID-19 爆发对父母压力的影响是巨大的，照顾有基础疾病儿童的父母受到的影响更为严重。在大流行后全球社会经济重启的情况下，不应忽视父母压力的短期和长期影响。对于其他弱势群体，应向父母提供准确的健康信息和心理支持资源，尤其是照顾有基础疾病儿童的父母。
