Li Shifeng, Xu Qiongying, Xie Jing, Wang Lei, Li Huining, Ma Li, Xia Ruixue
School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu, Lanzhou, China.
Experimental Kindergarten of Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China.
Soc Sci Med. 2022 Oct;311:115301. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115301. Epub 2022 Aug 29.
Parenting is a demanding task associated with parents' mental health, which is likely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The present study investigated daily parenting hassles and their effects on parents' mental health during this period.
A total of 7314 parents with children aged 3-14 years old completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and reported on their perceived daily parenting hassles, mental health, family support, and co-parenting during the COVID-19 school closure.
Most parents (73.4%) showed different degrees of daily hassles, and a relatively higher prevalence of depression (18.7%), anxiety (22.4%), and stress (12.1%) were found. Motherhood, parents' younger ages, lower education parents, job loss, and having younger children, boys, and multiple children were associated with elevated daily parenting hassles and mental health issues. Importantly, daily parenting hassles were uniquely associated with mental health problems after controlling for various sociodemographic characteristics, family support, and co-parenting. Furthermore, family support and co-parenting can attenuate daily parenting hassles, which, in turn, protect parents' mental health.
The findings of the present study underscore the critical need to consider daily parenting hassles and their effects on the mental health of parents during the COVID-19 lockdown. The present study also outlines potential factors (family support and co-parenting) that attenuate parents' daily parenting hassles and protect their mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown.
育儿是一项艰巨的任务，与父母的心理健康相关，而新冠疫情封锁可能会加剧这种情况。本研究调查了在此期间日常育儿烦恼及其对父母心理健康的影响。
共有7314名有3至14岁孩子的父母完成了一份社会人口统计学调查问卷，并报告了他们在新冠疫情学校关闭期间感知到的日常育儿烦恼、心理健康、家庭支持和共同育儿情况。
大多数父母（73.4%）表现出不同程度的日常烦恼，且发现抑郁（18.7%）、焦虑（22.4%）和压力（12.1%）的患病率相对较高。母亲身份、父母年龄较小、受教育程度较低的父母、失业以及有年幼子女、男孩和多个孩子与日常育儿烦恼增加和心理健康问题相关。重要的是，在控制了各种社会人口统计学特征、家庭支持和共同育儿因素后，日常育儿烦恼与心理健康问题存在独特关联。此外，家庭支持和共同育儿可以减轻日常育儿烦恼，进而保护父母的心理健康。
本研究结果强调了在新冠疫情封锁期间考虑日常育儿烦恼及其对父母心理健康影响的迫切需求。本研究还概述了在新冠疫情封锁期间减轻父母日常育儿烦恼并保护其心理健康的潜在因素（家庭支持和共同育儿）。
