Study Results: COVID-19 Pandemic
Explore our research on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted Albertan families.
Featured Publication
Individuals with pre-existing challenges with depression and anxiety symptoms are especially vulnerable to mental difficulties during stressful times. Having good coping strategies to manage uncertainty and a strong relationship with a partner may protect against depression and anxiety symptoms in times of increased stress, like the pandemic.
Mediating mechanisms for maternal mental health from pre to during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mothers (n = 1,333) from an ongoing longitudinal cohort (All Our Families; AOF) from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, completed online questionnaires prior to (2017–2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (May-July 2020).
In unadjusted analyses, maternal depression and anxiety symptoms pre-pandemic were strongly associated with COVID-19 depressive (r = 0.57, p<.01) and anxiety symptoms (r = 0.49, p<.01). Significant indirect effects between maternal depressive symptoms pre- and during COVID-19 were found for coping behavior (abcs=0.014, 95%CI=0.005, 0.022, p=.001), perceived stress (abcs=0.22, 95%CI=0.179, 0.258, p<.001), and strained relationships (abcs=0.013, 95%CI= 0.005, 0.022, p=.003). For maternal anxiety symptoms pre- and during COVID-19, significant indirect effects were observed for perceived stress (abcs=0.012, 95%CI=0.077, 0.154, p=.003) and strained relationships (abcs=0.010, 95%CI=0.001, 0.018, p=.03).
Conclusions: Perceived stress, coping attitudes, and interpersonal relationships are three potential intervention targets for mitigating COVID-19 related mental distress in mothers.
Predictors of preadolescent children's recreational screen time duration during the COVID-19 pandemic
Participants included 846 children (M = 9.85, SD = 0.78) and their mothers from the All Our Families cohort, Calgary, Canada. Mothers reported (May-July 2020) on child screen use and COVID-19 pandemic impacts (e.g., job/income loss and stress), and children self-reported (July-August 2020) on their screen use and daily routines (e.g., sleep, physical activity, and device-free activities).
Screen use during the COVID-19 pandemic was highest among male and minoritized children and families reporting high levels of stress. Children had lower durations of screen time when device limits were set by mothers. Children also had lower durations of screen time when they used screens to connect with others and when they engaged in higher levels of physical activity or device-free recreational activities.
Conclusion: This study sheds light on children's screen use during the COVID-19 pandemic and supports the current screen use guidelines for school-aged children, suggesting that parents monitor use and foster high-quality screen use (e.g., coviewing or used for connection) and device-free recreational activities when possible.
Maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: a longitudinal analysis
Maternal depression and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic were compared with three previous estimates collected at 3, 5, and 8-year timepoints (between April, 2012, and October, 2019).
Of the 3387 women included in the All Our Families study, 1301 were included in the longitudinal analysis. At the COVID-19 impact survey time point, a higher proportion of mothers had clinically significant depression (35·21%, 95% CI 32·48–38·04) and anxiety symptoms (31·39%, 28·76–34·15) than at all previous data collection timepoints. The mean depression score (8·31, 95% CI 7·97–8·65) and anxiety score (11·90, 11·66–12·13) at the COVID-19 pandemic time point were higher than previous data collection waves at the 3-year time point (mean depression score 5·05, 4·85–5·25; mean anxiety score 9·51, 9·35–9·66), 5-year time point (mean depression score 5·43, 5·20–5·66; mean anxiety score 9·49, 9·33–9·65), and 8-year time point (mean depression score 5·79, 5·55–6·02; mean anxiety score 10·26, 10·10–10·42). For the within-person comparisons, depression scores were a mean of 2·30 points (95% CI 1·95–2·65) higher and anxiety scores were a mean of 1·04 points (0·65–1·43) higher at the COVID-19 pandemic time point, after controlling for time trends.
Conclusion: Larger increases in depression and anxiety symptoms were observed for women who had income disruptions, difficulty balancing home schooling with work responsibilities, and those with difficulty obtaining childcare.
Child and family factors associated with child mental health and well-being during COVID-19
This study included 846 mother–child dyads (child age 9–11) from the All Our Families cohort. Mothers reported on the child’s pre-pandemic mental health at age 8 (2017–2019) and during COVID-19 (May–July 2020), the family’s financial impact due to COVID-19, and maternal depression and anxiety. During COVID-19 (July–August 2020), children reported on their screen time, sleep, physical activity, peer and family relationships, and recreational activities, as well as their happiness, anxiety and depression.
After controlling for pre-pandemic anxiety, connectedness to caregivers (B − 0.16; 95% CI − 0.22 to − 0.09), child sleep (B − 0.11; 95% CI − 0.19 to − 0.04), and child screen time (B 0.11; 95% CI 0.04–0.17) predicted child COVID-19 anxiety symptoms. After controlling for pre-pandemic depression, connectedness to caregivers (B − 0.26; 95% CI − 0.32 to − 0.21) and screen time (B 0.09; 95% CI 0.02–0.16) predicted child COVID-19 depressive symptoms. After controlling for covariates, connectedness to caregivers (B 0.36; 95% CI 0.28–0.39) predicted child COVID-19 happiness.
Conclusion: Fostering parent–child connections and promoting healthy device and sleep habits are critical modifiable factors that warrant attention in post-pandemic mental health recovery planning.
2023
Racine N, Plamondon A, McArthur BA, Hetherington E*, McDonald S, Edwards S, Tough S, Madigan S. Changes and predictors of maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Archives of Women’s Mental Health. 26, June 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-023-01339-8
Plamondon A, McArthur, BA, Eirich R, Racine N, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Changes in Children’s Recreational Screen Time During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Jama Pediatrics. 177(6):635-637, April 2023. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.0393
2021
Racine N*, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Mediating Mechanisms for Maternal Mental Health from pre- to during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mediators of maternal mental illness during COVID-19. Journal of Affective Disorders. Dec 2021, Vol. 6, 100287. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100287
McArthur BA*, Eirich R*, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Predictors of Preadolescent Children’s Recreational Screen Time Duration During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. December 2021. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001057
McArthur BA*, Racine N, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Child and Family Factors Associated with Child Mental Health and Well-Being during COVID-19. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. July 2021, DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01849-9
Letourneau N, McDonald S, MacKay L, Bell RC, Hetherington E*, Deane AJ*, Dewey D, Edwards S, Field CH, Giesbrecht G, Graham SA, Lebel C, Leung B, Madigan S, McArthur BA*, McMorris C, Racine N*, Ross K, Wu M*, Tough S. Cross-Sectional Study Protocol for the COVID-19 Impact Survey of Mothers and Their 7-11 Year Old Children in Alberta, Canada. Frontiers in Psychiatry. June 2021, 12: 902. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.597759
McArthur B*, Racine N*, Browne D, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Recreational screen time before and during COVID-19 in school aged children. Acta Paediatrica. June 2021, DOI: 10.1111/apa.15966.
Hetherington E, Edwards SA, MacDonald SE, Racine N*, Madigan S, McDonald S, Tough S. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination intentions among mothers of children aged 9 to 12 years: a survey of the All Our Families cohort. CMAJ Open. May 2021, vol. 9 no. 2 E548-E555, DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20200302.
Racine N*, Hetherington E, McArthur BA*, McDonald S, Edwards S, Tough S, Madigan S. Maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms before and during COVID-19: Longitudinal findings from the All Our Families Cohort, Canada. Lancet Psychiatry. March 2021, 1-11. DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00074-2.