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Parents and Children during COVID-19 Pandemic
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Parents and Children during COVID-19 Pandemic

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 6163

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mara Morelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: developmental psychology; online risky behaviors during adolescence; parent-child relationships
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Elena Cattelino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Aosta Valley, 11100 Aosta, Italy
Interests: developmental psychology; risk and protective factors in adolescence; parent-child relationships
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carmen Trumello

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio", 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: developmental psychology; parenting; adolescent research
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The spread of coronavirus SAR-COV-2 and the subsequent health emergency are unprecedented events for which the world was not equipped, with significant repercussions on the daily lives of families, especially children, and adolescents, who have been deprived of their play and socialization spaces. During this period, many families have indeed felt deep solitude and deprivation of any support.

As immediately warned by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic had negative consequences on psychological well-being; thus, there is a need to invest in mental health services and services for families. This necessity has been exacerbated for children and adolescents who, over the course of the pandemic, have shown signs of mental illness, such as anxiety, emotional and behavioural disorders. In order to implement effective intervention programs, more research is needed to better understand the emotional challenges faced by children and adolescents, which can be exacerbated by family stress, social isolation, interruption of school and educational activity, and uncertainty of the future occurring in critical moments of their emotional development. Previous studies on the psychological consequences of traumatic events have shown resultant long-term effects on children’s psychological well-being, with some mental disorders being reported 6 months after the causative incident. Furthermore, understanding the psychological impact of SARS-COV-2 on children, adolescents and parents can help families face potential future pandemics.

This Special Issue is open to both quantitative and qualitative research aimed at improving the current knowledge of the short- and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families, children, and adolescents. Longitudinal studies are also welcome, as an improved understanding of the psychological and behavioural repercussions of the pandemic two years after its inception is crucial.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Children.

Prof. Dr. Mara Morelli
Prof. Dr. Elena Cattelino
Dr. Carmen Trumello
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • coronavirus disease
  • emotional development
  • parents
  • children
  • adolescents
  • family
  • developmental and clinical psychology
  • trauma
  • distance learning

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 348 KiB  
Article
Preventive Health Behaviours among Adolescents and Their Parents during the COVID-19 Outbreak in the Light of the Health Beliefs Model
by Marietta Koźlarek, Natalia Błaszczyk, Magdalena Grajek and Sylwia Jaskulska
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17060; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417060 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1761
Abstract
This article analysed the relationship between the preventive health behaviours of parents and teenagers during the COVID-19 outbreak, taking the Health Beliefs Model (HBM) as a point of reference. We assumed that parents’ behaviours may be a cue to action for adolescents, looking [...] Read more.
This article analysed the relationship between the preventive health behaviours of parents and teenagers during the COVID-19 outbreak, taking the Health Beliefs Model (HBM) as a point of reference. We assumed that parents’ behaviours may be a cue to action for adolescents, looking at their preventive health behaviours regarding vaccination against COVID-19, as well as vaccination intention (among unvaccinated people); wearing protective masks where it is compulsory and where it is not obligatory; and maintaining physical distance and disinfecting hands in public places. The collected data were statistically analysed using the Statistica version 13.3 software package for advanced statistical data analysis. Descriptive statistics and correlation for non-parametric data (Spearman’s correlation) were used. Research on a sample of 201 parents and their children revealed that young people engage in preventive behaviour less frequently than parents, but that the likelihood of such behaviour increases if they have a parent’s cue to action. When formulating recommendations, we considered the gender of the surveyed parents, as the questionnaire was mainly completed by women, which may be an indicator of the unequal involvement in addressing the topic of the pandemic and preventive health behaviours, including attitudes towards vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parents and Children during COVID-19 Pandemic)
20 pages, 751 KiB  
Article
Burnout Syndrome and COVID-19 Lockdown: Research on Residential Care Workers Who Assume Parental Roles with Youths
by Laura Ferro, Marina Cariello, Alessandra Colombesi, Alberto Segantini, Eleonora Centonze, Giorgia Baccini and Stefania Cristofanelli
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16320; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316320 - 6 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1874
Abstract
Healthcare professionals are at higher risk of developing and experiencing burnout. Parents may also suffer from prolonged stressful conditions that lead to physical and emotional exhaustion. Residential youth care workers assume a caregiving role that can lead to persistent stressful conditions that affect [...] Read more.
Healthcare professionals are at higher risk of developing and experiencing burnout. Parents may also suffer from prolonged stressful conditions that lead to physical and emotional exhaustion. Residential youth care workers assume a caregiving role that can lead to persistent stressful conditions that affect their relationship with the youth. In addition, the COVID-19 lockdown has had a negative impact on both the organization and the work, as well as on the lifestyle of workers and minors. In fact, during the pandemic, contact with families was not possible due to restrictions and this increased the need for caregivers to assume a parental role. This research aims to examine the risk of burnout in a sample of 75 healthcare professionals working with youths and the association with psychological traits. Then, we aim to evaluate these aspects during the COVID-19 lockdown The measurements, conducted in both February 2019 and April 2021, included six questionnaires: MBI to assess burnout, TAS_20 to explore alexithymic traits, COPE_NVI to assess coping strategies, FDS_R to quantify frustration intolerance at work, IRI for empathy, and FFMQ to investigate awareness and emotional regulation. Our sample shows a medium-high risk of developing burnout, which worsened during the pandemic. A worsening of emotional skills, paralleled by a greater empathic investment required by the emergency situation, and an assumed parental role is observable. Coping strategies correlate with burnout risk, as avoidance strategies were strongly associated with emotional exhaustion. These findings suggest an urgent need to develop targeted and timely interventions for healthcare professionals in order to prevent long-term consequences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parents and Children during COVID-19 Pandemic)
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12 pages, 345 KiB  
Article
Managing Children’s Fears during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Strategies Adopted by Italian Caregivers
by Marta Landoni, Sergio A. Silverio, Chiara Ionio and Francesca Giordano
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(18), 11699; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191811699 - 16 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1817
Abstract
Background: Life-threatening events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, may generate feelings of insecurity and fear in the affected population, particularly children. Parents’ ability to help children cope with negative emotions is essential during challenging periods. The current study aims to analyse the coping [...] Read more.
Background: Life-threatening events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, may generate feelings of insecurity and fear in the affected population, particularly children. Parents’ ability to help children cope with negative emotions is essential during challenging periods. The current study aims to analyse the coping strategies adopted by Italian caregivers concerning their children’s fears about COVID-19. Method: An online survey was administered during the Italian lockdown to 649 parents of at least one child aged 5 to 17 years old. Respondents completed the survey for themselves and their children. In addition, a qualitative content analysis of the data from the open-ended question was conducted (N = 569; 87.9% women; MAge = 45 years). Results: Several themes were identified. Firstly, families’ primary approach was ‘communication and meaning-making’. Secondly, another essential strategy was ‘the importance of safe space’, enabled by keeping routine in place and creating a loving and caring environment. Thirdly, other factors relevant to managing children’s fears were ‘adaptation’, ‘religion’, ‘a positive attitude’, and ‘humour and hope’. Finally, the last two strategies significant and valuable for Italian families were ‘flexibility’ and ‘maintaining virtual contacts. Conclusion: During the pandemic COVID-19, parents may have used various strategies to protect their children from stress. Future research could investigate single parents’ coping strategies explicitly developed during the COVID-19 lockdown. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Parents and Children during COVID-19 Pandemic)
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