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Research Article: COVID-19 Pandemic and Changes in Children’s Behavioral Problems: The Mediating Role of Maternal Depressive Symptoms

Date Published: 2023-05-31

Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to a range of behavioral problems in children. To date, however, longitudinal studies with data prior to the pandemic are rare, and moreover, few studies have examined the family context. This is notable as evidence suggests that mothers were highly vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic, and stress proliferation models would argue that children’s wellbeing are undoubtedly affected by maternal wellbeing. In the current investigation, we examine changes in maternal depressive symptoms and children’s behavioral problems from prior to the pandemic to the first few months of COVID-19 in the U.S. The results suggest a significant increase in children’s internalizing problems and maternal depressive symptoms. Consistent with stress proliferation models, the relationship between COVID-19-related stressors and children’s behavioral problems were mediated by maternal mental health.

Introduction:
There is increased concern that the COVID-19 pandemic may be leading to psychological problems (e.g., depression, anxiety), even among children [1]. However, to date few studies have tested this hypothesis longitudinally with pre-pandemic baseline data. Indeed, the majority of research has only focused on concurrent data collected during the pandemic. The lack of longitudinal data severely limits our ability to draw conclusions about the impact of the pandemic on children’s outcomes. In the context of research on…

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