The COVID-19 pandemic and Australian parents with young children at risk of interparental conflict

ABSTRACT

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges for families across the world, with those who have recently had a baby particularly vulnerable to increased stress Study Aim: The current study aimed to explore the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic of families who have recently had a baby in Melbourne, Australia. Methods: Interviews were conducted with sixteen parents participating in a family-based intervention during early parenthood and seven clinicians who delivered the program. Results: Parents and clinicians described impacts of the pandemic on parent and family functioning included mental health concerns, stress and irritability, feelings of isolation, and increased relationship tension. Parents discussed coping strategies used during the crisis, including activities with their family, connecting with others, trying to stay positive, and self-care activities such as spending time outdoors. Both parents and clinicians acknowledged the importance of mental health and parenting support during and following the pandemic, and for these services to be promoted and easily accessible. Discussion: The study highlights the mental health and parenting support needs of families during times of crisis and emphasises the importance of early intervention for families exhibiting poor communication and relationship tension.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• family functioning
• parenting
• mental health
• child development

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the study participants for generously sharing their experiences of this challenging time.

Human research ethics approval

This study was approved by the Royal Children’s Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee.

Data availability statement

Research data from this project are not shared.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by Department of Health and Human Services (State Government of Victoria), the Victor Chiodo Foundation, and Morgan Stanley. Murdoch Children’s Research Institute received funding from the Victorian Government Operational Infrastructure Support Program.